Dreading Debt: Which Top Colleges Usually Leave Graduates in the Most Debt?

Hi peeps, post-college debt is something that's been weighing on me as I navigate the college application process. I came across some horror stories and it got me questioning: which of the top colleges typically leave students in the most debt?

While college debt is a widespread concern, it's important to remember that financial aid conditions can greatly vary among top schools.

To answer your question, student loan debt typically tends to be more prominent at higher-cost private institutions. For instance, schools like New York University and University of Southern California have been identified in previous years as institutions where students graduate with relatively high debt.

However, many top colleges are committed to reducing the debt burden of their students. Schools like Princeton, Harvard, and Yale have notable financial aid programs that replace student loans with grants, enabling a significant proportion of students to graduate debt-free.

It's also crucial to keep in mind the considerable differences in financial aid policy among "top" colleges. For example, MIT and Stanford don't charge tuition for families earning less than $100,000 and $125,000 a year, respectively. At Harvard, families who earn less than $85,000 per year pay nothing towards the cost of attendance.

Financial aid packages can be complex and vary dramatically from one school to another, so it's important to review these aid offers closely. Always use each school's net price calculator to estimate your costs.

In summary, "top" colleges each have different financial aid policies and structures leading to varying amounts of student debt, and evaluating these policies is an important part of the college application process.