The average student loan debt for graduates of Bay State colleges in 2008 was $23,125, according to a new report from the Project on Student Debt. But that’s actually a bit lower than the national average of $23,200 (which was up from $18,650 in 2004).

The states sending students into the world with the highest average debts were Iowa ($28,174), Connecticut ($26,138), and New York ($25,950). The District of Columbia topped them all, with $29,793. The least debt-heavy states were Utah ($13,041) and Hawaii ($15,156).

The report includes an honor roll of sorts: 28 “low debt” colleges and universities whose average graduates are less than $10,000 in the hole. The only Massachusetts institution to make the list is Williams College, cited for “financial aid policies that are specifically intended to minimize student debt, especially for students from low- and middle-income backgrounds.”