Average student debt in Scotland is currently three times lower than in England, according to new analysis.
Figures released by the House of Commons Library – commissioned by the SNP – found that in 2022 an English domiciled student graduating from university owed on average £44,730.
The corresponding figure for a Scottish student who studied north of the border was £14,770.
Since 2000, the English figure rose from £2,690 – an increase of more than 16 times.
In Scotland, the same students graduating in 2000 owed an average of £2,620 – an increase of more than five times.
The SNP’s education spokeswoman at Westminster, Carol Monaghan, said the figures showed Westminster “has completely failed young people”.
Scottish and EU students in Scotland are charged £1,820 for their studies per year, with the Student Awards Agency Scotland (Saas) paying the tuition of those who are eligible.
