Here are the big, key figures on the average costs of college, average student debt amounts, and employment rates.
Estimated Annual Student Budgets (2017-18)
These figures include tuition, room and board, and other expenses to estimate the average total costs of attending college for one year.
Two-year public, local: $18,000
Four-year public, in-state: $25,000
Four-year public, out-of-state: $41,000
Four-year private: $51,000
Federal and State Student Aid (2016-17)
Total Federal Grants (Pell, LEAP, etc.): $40 billion
Ten-year increase: 102%
Total Federal Loans (Perkins, Stafford, etc.): $95 billion
Ten-year increase: 31%
Total State Grants: $11 billion
Ten-year increase: 22%
Student Debt (2018)
Total Outstanding Debt: $1.48 trillion among 44 million borrowers
Average debt per borrower: $33,000
Average monthly debt payment (ages 20-30): $350
Delinquency rate (90+ days past due) as of 2017: 11.2%
Average Textbook Prices (2016)
New: $80
Used: $51
National Employment Rates for 20-24 Year Olds (2016)
Completion of Bachelor’s degree: 88%
Completion of High School: 77%
Total U.S. Unemployment (2018)
Bureau of Labor Statistics (U-6) Unemployment Rate: 7.8%
Shadowstats Alternate Unemployment Rate: 21.5%
Sources: The College Board, NACS, The Federal Reserve Bank, The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, NCES, BLS, Shadowstats