College tuition in the United States has risen by 141% in the last 20 years, according to educationdata.org, which is an organization whose mission is to collect data about the U.S. education system.

Over that same time period, inflation rose 67%, which means college tuition has increased at double the inflation rate, according to usinflationcalculator.com.

The average annual in-state cost for tuition and housing is $27,146, reported Educationdata.org. On average, they said, students graduate with an average of nearly $38,000 of student loan debt. 

In Wisconsin, the average salary of a college graduate’s first job is $43,601 according to ziprecruiter.com. 

Young adults are saddled with debt before they even earn their first paycheck.

These financial issues can have a great effect on the mental health of students. Bestcollege.com  said 73% of students reported having some sort of anxiety in 2023, with 51% attributing it to financial pressure.

It’s scary to me to be moving into my college years knowing this issue will affect me and many of my friends.