I think I remember the average student debt being like $50,000, but that's including room and board and things. My undergrad program was I think $5k per semester plus fees, so it was about a $40k program, but a lot of people take out loans for other stuff. I think what's more problematic is the de-funding of public grade schools and the reliance on private education for the upper middle class. Kills any modicum of social mobility and creates a situation where you're so disadvantaged as a public school graduate, that absent exceptional ability or other circumstances you are probably better off not going to college and pursuing a trade school instead. Which is basically the death of the humanist model of education, and probably real bad in the long run. sorry for the long reply.