The median debt for students graduating from New York colleges and universities ranges from $5,500 to more than $30,000, according to an analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

The data is based on federal loans taken out at each college. It excludes private student loans and Parent PLUS loans, as well as any assistance students may have received while attending out-of-state schools.

Graduates’ typical monthly loan payments to colleges in New York State range from $63 to $381, according to Newsday’s analysis. This includes only federal loans from each school and is based on repayment over 10 years at a 6.52% interest rate, the scorecard said.

New York colleges with the lowest median debt

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, which enrolls just under 1,000 undergraduate students, boasts the lowest median total debt figure for graduates among higher education institutions statewide at $5,500, according to the College Scorecard. The academy is tuition-free and also provides free housing and meals, which drives the average annual cost down to $1,516.

Boricua College

New York City-based Boricua College, which enrolls just under 400 undergraduate students and is geared toward meeting the educational needs of Hispanic individuals, boasts the second-lowest median total debt figure for graduates among higher education institutions statewide at $6,733, according to the College Scorecard. Boricua has an average annual cost of $15,934.

Boricua announced the closure of its Manhattan campus this summer as part of an initiative to "strengthen and expand academic programs and student support services at its Bronx and Brooklyn campuses," according to the college.

Three other higher education institutions have a median total debt for graduates of $8,000 and a typical monthly loan payment of $91, according to the College Scorecard. Those schools are CUNY Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College and Suffolk County Community College.

New York colleges with the highest median debt

Metropolitan College of New York

Metropolitan College of New York graduates have a median total debt of $33,538, according to the College Scorecard. Metropolitan College, which has approximately 400 undergraduate students, costs an average of $29,006 annually, and its graduates have a typical monthly loan payment of $381, the scorecard said.

Berkeley College

Graduates of Manhattan-based Berkeley College have the second-highest median total debt statewide at $32,500, according to the College Scorecard. Berkeley, which has just under 1,500 undergraduate students, has an average annual cost of $32,052, and its graduates have a typical monthly loan payment of $369, the scorecard said.

Three other higher education institutions have a median total debt for graduates of $27,000 and typical monthly loan payments of $307, according to the scorecard. Those schools are: Elmira College, Molloy University in Rockville Centre and the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.

 New York colleges with meets-need/no-loan policies

Eight New York colleges and universities are among those that meet most, or all, of a student's demonstrated financial need with limited or no loans, according to the online educational program The Scholarship System. A student's financial need is determined by calculating the gap between the college's cost of attendance and what financial forms, such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or the CSS Profile, determine as the student's responsibility. Graduates of meets-needs colleges generally have lower debt loads. Those institutions are:

Colgate University

Columbia University

Cornell University

Hamilton College

Syracuse University

Union College

University of Rochester

Vassar College