How many students struggle with debt?
About 43.4 million Americans have federal
Many students borrow to fund a portion of their college expenses. Each year, 30 to 40 percent of all undergraduate students take federal student loans; 70 percent of students who receive a bachelor's degree have education debt by the time they graduate.
In the United States, student loan debt is nearing $2 trillion, and Californians carry approximately $150 billion of the debt.
More than four in ten students at public four-year universities complete their degree with zero debt. Nearly eight in ten students graduate with less than $30,000 in debt. Among those who do borrow, the average debt at graduation is $27,400 — or $6,850 for each year of a four-year degree at a public university.
| State | Average student loan debt |
|---|---|
| California | $37,211 |
| South Carolina | $36,981 |
| North Carolina | $36,885 |
| Delaware | $36,776 |
Students are struggling with education costs.
Sixty-eight percent of students say it is a struggle for them or their family members to pay for their education.
Who has student loan debt? Roughly 43 million Americans have outstanding federal student loan debt — that's about 13% of the U.S. population, per census data. Source: Federal Student Aid, Portfolio by Age Q4 2023.
Black and African American student borrowers are the most likely to struggle financially due to student loan debt making monthly payments of $250. Asian college graduates are the fastest to repay their loan debt and the most likely to earn a salary that exceeds their student loan debt balance.
Although most college students take out student loans, women and people of color are more likely to have student loan debt—and higher balances—than their white male counterparts.
Soaring college costs and pressure to compete in the job marketplace are big factors for student loan debt. Student loans are the most common form of educational debt, followed by credit cards and other types of credit. Borrowers who don't complete their degrees are more likely to default.
Why is student debt a problem?
Despite their qualifications, grads often have to settle for lower-paying, lower-skill jobs just so they can start paying their loan bills right away. As a result, graduates in debt often miss out on the benefits that come with a degree.
At the end of 2023, 43.2 million Americans have federal student loans. Approximately 13% of all Americans had federal student loan debt in 2021. In 2023, 9.9 million borrowers have between $20,000-$40,000 of student loan debt.
Student loan debt in excess of $100K can cause you to pay thousands in interest charges, and your monthly payments can take up a substantial amount of your cash flow. However, there are ways to make your payments more manageable and even accelerate repayment.
The federal government or a commercial entity owns your student loans. Private companies own all private loans. The U.S. Department of Education holds most federal loans. Both the Department of Education and private institutions partner with third parties called student loan servicers.
51.04% of students drop out because they cannot pay for college (What to Become, 2021). Moreover, 55% of students struggle to financially support their education, which results in 79% of them delaying their graduation (ThinkImpact, 2021).
A survey from Morning Consult found that 77 percent of people say that college is difficult to afford, while 52 percent say that even in-state, public universities—which are typically intended to be more affordable options—are not affordable [6].
Data Summary. In 2023, over three-quarters of college students (76%) experienced moderate to serious psychological distress. 36% of students were diagnosed with anxiety; 28% had depression.
White people, on average, are more likely to have mortgage debt than Black people, but Black people are more likely to have credit card debt (Dettling et al., 2017).
ELVTR's higher education study found that most (54%) have experienced mental health issues brought on by their student debt.
Black families borrow student loans at higher rates than other races — and they owe more. 30.2% of Black families hold student loan debt, versus 20.0% of white and 14.3% of Hispanic families.
Why is paying off student debt good?
When you can save money by avoiding interest. While student loans tend to have lower interest rates than other common forms of debt, such as credit cards, the substantial cost over time can be alleviated by paying off your loans sooner, thus incurring less interest.
In reality, they can be both. Good student loan debt could deliver a college degree to help you climb the career ladder. Bad student loan debt can leave you ill-equipped for repayment, harming your finances for years to come.
With careful planning, student debt is worth it
But the data clearly show that incurring a carefully calculated amount of student debt to earn a marketable degree and enter a well-compensated, in-demand profession is very likely to pay off. In the end, it's a personal choice.
Federal student loans were first offered in 1958 under the National Defense Education Act (NDEA). They were available only to select categories of students, such as those studying engineering, science, or education. The program was established in response to the Soviet Union's launch of the Sputnik satellite.
Student loans are considered good debt due to their potential for long-term benefits, including increased earning potential. Other factors of good debt include lower interest rates, flexible repayment options, and potential tax deductions.
