Average student debt after completion
The average amount of education-related debt (federal and private, if available) held by students upon completion of their postsecondary credential(s).
Surveys of unenrolled young adults find that many potential students are not pursuing higher education because they perceive college costs as too high. 3 Students who do enroll, especially students of color and those from low-income backgrounds, often take out loans, which can depress graduation rates, cut into future earnings, and repress wealth accumulation after exit. 4 College leaders can examine this metric to understand what financial burdens students are taking on and compare those burdens to the typical earnings premiums post-completion to inform how to adjust tuition/costs, improve program quality, decrease time to credential, and allocate financial aid.
While college leaders will find value in collecting data on all students, consistently disaggregating data whenever possible can reveal outcome disparities. This information is essential for colleges developing strong reform plans to improve and close disparities in student success.
- Race/ethnicity
- Gender
- Family/Personal Income
- Age
- Parent/Dependent status
- Attendance intensity
- First-generation status
- Veteran status
Students may identify with one or many of the above identities. College leaders should consider how these different identities intersect and pay close attention to these relationships and how they may influence each student’s experience.