In the 2009 fiscal year, the default rate on student loans climbed from 7 percent to 8.8 percent, over the previous fiscal year, according to a U.S. Department of Education report released today.

Of the 3.6 million student-loan borrowers whose first repayment period was between October 1, 2008, and September 30, 2009, about 320,000 people defaulted before September 30, 2010.

You can review information on the national student loan default rate and rates for individual schools, states, and types of institutions at the Federal Student Aid Data Center.