As students across Wyoming prepare to head off to college later this month, here's some encouraging news. According to a new study from the website Wallet Hub, the Cowboy State has the second lowest rate of student loan debt in the country.

In the study, 2015's Best and Worst States for Student Debt, researchers compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on several factors, including average student loan debt, employment rates and the percentage of students with past due loans.

Overall, Wyoming was ranked second in the nation, just behind Utah. Wyoming has the lowest proportion of student to debt to income and tied for the third lowest percentage of students with debt.

North Dakota, Washington and Nebraska rounded out the five best states for student loan debt. Mississippi ranked last in the study, followed closely by Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine and Georgia.

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