This means that attending one of the Nation’s top colleges without considerable financial support or a hefty scholarship will immediately force a college graduate into debt: “10% of students graduate with over $40,000 in debt” and others graduate owing their college funds that lean into the hundred thousands. (procon). “According to the US Congress Joint Economic Committee, approximately 60% of 2011 college graduates have student loan debt [that] balances equal to 60% of their annual income.” (procon). Being thousands in debt before even finding a first job immediately sets college graduates behind their peers financially who got a job immediately following high school. Unless a student got a degree in a high-paying, in-demand job like a doctor, their loans will likely be hanging around for years. This can make it more difficult
Even more concerning, the Gallup-Purdue Index shows that the percentage of “graduates [from 2006 to 2015] who ‘strongly agree’ college was worth the cost” lies at 38%. (gallup). The odds of agreeing are nearly twice as high if college professors cared about their students, students had had an encouraging mentor, or if at least one professor made learning exciting, and these three factors are hardly connected to the price of a college. For these reasons, excessive student loan debt due to attending a top-tier university without the financial means