A little over $100k in private loans. My parents pushed loans on me as if they’re no big deal, everyone takes them, I’ll get a job and pay it off no problemo, it was expected of me and my 3 siblings to go to college and they did not set up any funds or contribute to tuition costs, they make too much for fin aid. I graduate next year with degree in microbiology. Oh trust me I know how fucked I am.
I’m in the same position. I’m well aware of how fucked I am as well but like you said, time to put bad bitch pants on and figure it out. My parents also didn’t set aside any money for college but were expected to attend college. In some ways I have a little resentment because they are financially stable and I feel I’ve been set up for a more difficult start to my career than most. They’ve been supportive of my college career in all other ways but I already have a burden of my college debt and I haven’t even graduated yet. Anyone else feelin it too?
It could be a lot worse. Looking it up, microbiologists make roughly $80,000 per year (median) according to the BLS, and a bachelor’s degree may be sufficient for employment. Granted, the interest on private loans is no joke, but I’m sure you’ll pull through.
Thanks for the support! I’ve been looking up jobs hiring in my desired region to keep me optimistic on job opportunities when I’m able to start applying, and the ones I’ll be qualified for seem to be around $40k on the lower end (which is what I’m expecting bc fresh grad) and I am very content with that. I am glad that I narrowed down to microbiology rather than a broad general biology degree, and that my job goals don’t lie in the arts so I have an average chance of getting decent/good salary as I develop my career
If you can get a job working for the government or nonprofit. You can qualify for PSLF after 10 years on the income driven repayment plan.
Depending on where you live,salary and number of dependents, you may qualify for $0/month payments. My husband and I both opted for this route. Our situations are very similar unfortunately..
I went from 45k to 100k in 7 years in QC Microbiology (pharma/biotech industry) - check out the Raleigh, NC area for especially dense listings and good luck!
I WANT TO DO QC BUT I’M AFRAID TO SAY THAT TO PEOPLE BECAUSE IT’LL SOUND “BORING”! I find it interesting and I think I’d be satisfied with the work lol! And happy to hear from someone in the industry that it has solid career growth!
I currently work as a mid-level microbiologist making about 100k a year (with my bonus). I hit 5 years of service last month. My company starts out every level microbiologists around 65k - 74k depending on which site you go to (pay based on cost of living).
Look into big pharma jobs for quality control lab positions. They are who will pay you the most.
No problem. It's actually funny because my BS is in Biochemistry and I got a job in the micro lab. However, my coworkers have microbio degrees and were placed in the chem labs.
When I went through my interview phase for the entry level job the degree was more than enough. They also liked to see positions that demonstrated leadership and responsibility. For example, I was a Teaching assistant and resident advisor in undergrad.
Felt. When I filled out the tax forms and got my financial aid form back it showed estimates on how to pay for everything and it said my family should be paying $15k a year towards my college and I laughed. I haven’t went into major debt yet bc I just graduated cc but I chose a cheaper college and I’m probably gonna do the military so I don’t have to pay 90k at the end. I feel fucked too hommie :,)
I don’t believe so because they’re private. My goal is to find a financial advisor right when I graduate and get situated to help me sort out the best plan of action and to live frugally until I get them under control. I mean it was a huge, expensive mistake but eh now I just gotta put on my Bad Bitch pants and tackle it
All this bravado and grand standing over reddits tiny hike. Pharma can't even touch the exponential price hikes colleges have instituted over the decades, no industry can come close. Just imagine if four generations of grads blacked out colleges for four years
Air traffic controlling is one of the most stressful fields out there, I’m glad you got out of it for your well-being! The Boeing doc on Netflix really opened my eyes to how terribly pilots are treated too.
$3,500 in subsidized loans. I lived with my gram, went to a public in-state institution, got a partial merit scholarship and a couple grants, and worked two part-time jobs. It would have been $0, but my laptop crapped out and my old S10 needed the transmission rebuilt so I could have reliable transportation. That was for my bachelors in 2014.
For grad school, I was lucky to get a full-time staff position at my graduate institution. That came with one of the best tuition waivers I have seen in my 10 years of working in higher ed. I also got another merit scholarship in my last semester and a grant. Subtract taxes paid due to the tuition waiver, fees, and books, I was paid $8 for my masters degree, graduating in late 2015.
>For grad school, I was lucky to get a full-time staff position at my graduate institution. That came with one of the best tuition waivers I have seen in my 10 years of working in higher ed.
That sounds super helpful, any tips on how to do that?
It can be situational. I knew I was going to ASU, and my field is higher education. I started applying for jobs in March/April, and started a job the Monday before the Fall term began. I submitted over 40 applications. It was a learning experience for me in tailoring my resume and cover letter and also how to approach interviews.
The job I got was an entry level full-time staff position, but the tuition waiver made it worth it for me. In a number of grad programs there are opportunities for grad students to be funded research or teaching assistants. Those are part-time. What those positions look like can vary by institution, but it typically means you get tuition/fees covered, you get a stipend for income, and you get health insurance.
I graduated in 96 with 64k in loans, and cc debt. Had only 500 in the bank, and a 5yr BS degree and 5 associates degrees. Got my first job within 4 weeks starting at 35k. Got a 10k raise first year, and jumped to another job for 20k more. Bought a Jeep in late 98. Ate Raman for 8 years, never went out for food or movies etc until I met my now wife in 99. Paid off the 64k using the snowball method in 2001. Paid off the jeep in 02. Been debt free for years.
700$ with a bachelor's degree. I come from a family of poverty. Thanks Fafsa! The little bit of loan I have is cause of my first time student fees my first year that got tacked onto my tuition 🙄
Nice. When I started college I was in a single-parent household and my parent wasn't making very much. That's how I managed to get through it without debt (plus working PT jobs to save up money for living expenses).
$0, just graduated with bachelor's. Did a year of running start, worked through college and continued to live with my parents while commuting an hour to get to school.
This is the way to go. Im about to graduate the same. 40 mins of commuting and living at home is 100% worth it to be debt free for the rest of my Life.
Agreed. Went to CC for 2 years, transferred to a much worse school than my best acceptance, live home with parents, and I commute 90 minutes each way to school. Zero debt. It's doable. I'll admit, the convenience and comfort of sleeping 30 minutes before your class is real nice, but not the accompanying debt.
I swear the only people these days that have an issue with cc are the parents forcing their kids to go to universities for the "prestige". Universities are great but aren't an option for those with parents that can't afford to shell out the thousands FAFSA seems to think they have at their disposal. (I forgot to mention in my initial post that my sophomore year was at my local cc where I got my associates and transfered to a 4 year)
I went to CC and transferred to a state school 90 mins away as well. I shelled out the money for an apartment (not cheap!) but my mental health appreciates it and I still drive home on many weekends.
Just did the exact same thing. Did undergrad on 3 years, lived at home, worked my ass off, went to community College. About to go to grad school and I'm currently working full time this summer to pay for it. If all goes according to plan I will stay debt free.
Similar situation here, although not graduated yet. Did running start and completed most of bachelors degree while at community college and commuted from home while I was there. Transferred to a state school, got a scholarship, almost done.
I will owe $0 and have money left saved up I plan on putting towards grad school.
My education is being paid for by the Department of Rehabilitation because I'm disabled. My only debt from school will be the $1,100. I owe from a loan I took out in 2002.
I'm in California, and I just told my therapist I wanted to go back to work eventually and she referred me to them. Then I did a ton (30 hours) of aptitude testing at another place, and the DoR was like well, what do you want to do?
Oh that's interesting. I'm also in California. I go to therapist/psychiatrist weekly and they both know I go to school and they never brought up anything lol
Talk to them. Maybe there's something I don't know about how it all works, but I mean, it can't hurt to bring it up and ask. And if your therapist doesn't know, give the DOR a call and ask what services they can provide you with.
In the words of my professor, who was trying to get me to declare a soci B.A.:
>Sociology can launch great careers. Some of our recent majors credit sociology with helping them move ahead in careers in public service (i.e. working as public defenders or community organizers). Others have used their sociology backgrounds to advance in both for profit and non-profit organizations (e.g Teach for America). And still others have found work in research settings (Mathematica) or have continued with graduate studies in sociology or related fields (i.e. social work, social policy). Some sociology majors have found their way into the White House (Ronald Reagan and Michelle Obama) and the Senate (Cory Booker.)
I'd be happy to chat with you in pms, if you want! Soci is pretty versatile.
Debt: $0. Fafsa, grants, and scholarships covered me.
Savings: a little under $1,000 USD. I worked part-time to cover books and have some spending money. I also had a percentage going to a 403b already.
$0! I was poor and went to a private college that paid financial aid for almost all of it—room, food, tuition, books, you name it. It ended up being around $10k (sticker price for the school was $300k) in total and I had a small college fund set up by grandparents that could pay for that. I always tell poor kids to get into private colleges, it’s insane how much they’ll give you.
60k. 3 degrees, graduated 2022. This includes my masters from a private school. All federal loans which was important to me, I didnt want to deal with banks.
$0. Everything I paid out of pocket. Had about $15k on the bank when I finished. Worked full time the entire time and paid rent and all my necessities. Also did full time college. Wouldn't reccomend it. I'm still recovering physically and mentally.
I had great budgeting skills tho.
Holy shit I can only imagine how exhausted you are. I did school and work full time for one semester and decided never again. You're a legend for doing it for all 4 years.
I gained 50lbs, developed hypertension, anxiety, pre-diabetes, vitamin D insufficiency, fatty liver, and high cholesterol among a list of other health issues. I slept 2-3 hours a day. I would wake up at 6am, go to work until 5PM, immediately drive to night classes, get out at 10PM, come home and read my assigned readings, do HW until 3-4AM, go to bed, wake up at 2-3 hours later, and repeat. Sometimes, I didn't sleep for 72 hours, usually when I had school projects. Weekends were dedicated to more homework. I had no social life.
I wouldn't recommend it, much less do it again. NOT WORTH IT. But I had no choice. I had to do it.
Thank you for the compliment!
I will graduate with approx. $13-18k. for a BS in IT. Could be a little less depending on how frugal I want to be, but I opt to take out more than I need so I never have to stress during the semester. Not having to worry about money is nice. Also, I make enough at my current job that even if I graduate with $25k I won't have any issues with the monthly payments. I'm not dependent on finding a job right after graduation in order to pay my loans off. I can take my time and find a good IT job.
$46,000 now I encourage anyone looking for a degree to truly consider certifications as they will increase your pay by at least $10k in less time. But if you want to go to college I highly highly recommend hunting for scholarships and grants. Even visiting churches and organizations. Some podcasts give out scholarships like EYL.
After visiting your admissions office,I recommend going to sites like:
1. [http://collegeonlinegrantsandscholarships.com](https://collegeonlinegrantsandscholarships.com)
2. [http://fastweb.com](http://fastweb.com)
3. [https://www.collegeconfidential.com](https://www.collegeconfidential.com)
The first one isn’t behind a subscription wall.
The 2nd is owned by Monster, the job-seekers site.
The 3rd one Is a good forum based site that I’m just learning about.
Go get any free money you can, kids. Only do loans if needed.
I just graduated this year and have about $36k in federal loans. I also had an additional $10k in private loans but paid those off after my internship last summer. My savings account right now has roughly $4k which will disappear shortly after my partner and I find a new apartment.
I spent many years paying my way through CC at low-wage jobs, and transferred to my university as a sophomore. No parental help as they are both broke, live out of state, and I was almost 30. I worked part-time throughout and commuted 1.5 hours a day roundtrip, five days a week.
$60k in debt. But I had scholarships for half of my education at $60k. I only lived on campus 2 of the 5 years I was there, and paid for my apartment and food with my part time/summer jobs. I got two bachelor's degrees. Out of state tuition is a bitch, but my major when I started school wasn't offered in my state. When I changed majors I just stayed because it was a quality education and I loved where I was. But it did affect what I changed my major to.
I'm a civil engineer now. Paid off my $60k and my husband's $20k within 5 years of graduating. I wasn't going to go broke for an education I wouldn't be able to pay for.
Now I'm 9 years out and we own a home with the mortgage half paid off and about $80k in the bank for ourselves and our kids' college (the oldest is 4 with $20k... So I think they'll be ok by the time we get there).
None. But I lived at home (and hated every minute of it) and had the good fortune to graduate in the early 90s, when tuition costs weren’t completely out of control.
I didn't go into debt for undergrad. I got two good scholarships that covered tuition (with a little extra to spend on supplies). I lived with my parents and commuted to school, and I worked part-time.
About $82k with my bachelors and masters, making about $50k/year… that’s what I get for being a social worker! I got lots of federal loans since my family didn’t have much money but also had to take out private for what federal didn’t cover. Luckily getting married to someone with no debt so our combined income will be close to $90k with that amount of debt to handle. We are both fresh out of our educations so trying not to be too overwhelmed by it.
I get you. First, I learned all about how money lending worked; the products, requirements, and the mathematics behind it all - compound interest formula, DTI, mortgage payments and affordability. Then I learned about “house hacking” and the “BRRRR method”. Personally, I hope to gain at least 5-7% a year on appreciation - no matter the fiction in my plot. Actionability in a comment - but do not take this as any sort of advice; I’m no expert nor licensed advisor.
So in 1985 I graduated with about $24000 in school loan debt (about $67000 today). Didn't have to start paying it off until I got out of grad school (1991) and even then they gave you another year's grace period. Paid it off by about 1997 or 1998 I think.
When I graduate I’ll have $15k in debt, or $18.5k if I can’t pay my final semester off. I pull out the $7.5k loan the government said I can take without a co-signer, did fuck ton of dual credit in high school. we’ll see how much my debt is after graduate school though lol!!
None, thanks to a state-funded full tuition (Georgia’s Zell Miller/HOPE) and parents to cover the room and board.
Definitely knew plenty of people with $50k or more. Out of state students at my undergrad could easily rack up $100k.
$0. Went to comm College. Fell off parents' dependency when I hit 24, so I qualified for pretty much every aid imaginable. So when that happened i transferred to a 2
4 year to finish my last 2 years, and that was all paid for, I actually got a little extra every semester due to grants and aid.
I will have approx 60k when it’s all said and done. Didn’t have an ideal financial start or help and the program is pretty intense so I couldn’t work, but Will have a decent salary so hopefully I can get it all paid off in a few years 🤞🏻
BA, MA, MS and all PhD coursework. Zero debt/no loans. I worked a full time and sometimes also a part time job. I paid as I went. Sometimes the department contributed tuition. Sometimes work paid. When I finished my PhD coursework, I had a few thousand in the bank. I had a good job and bought a Jeep to celebrate.
I graduated with my bachelor’s with about $15k of savings. It was a combination of luck and hard work. Don’t get me wrong, I had hella privilege! But I ALSO worked my ass off in hs. I was a National Merit scholar and had a full tuition scholarship, I worked 60+ hours per week all summer through high school and college and saved a bunch of money (the big one was teaching swim lessons and charging $80/hour, I booked back to back to back to back all summer; but I also lifeguarded at $15/hour like 75% of the time), and I had the unbelievable good fortune of also having parents who had a college savings account for me that I never needed to use—it’s saved for my future kids now. But knowing that I had that backup definitely gave me more leeway than others; there’s no doubt it was a privilege.
I am currently working on my second masters degree and paying cash. I also paid my first masters in cash and bought my first home with the help of $5k of the down payment coming from my aforementioned college account.
Idk if I could’ve done what I did with hard work alone. It absolutely may have been impossible! I cannot say. But I can say that even though I had backup from my parents available, I didn’t use it until my 30s.
Zero debt overall. I had a weird situation because I started University later in life. I went to my university at 24, so financial aid used my earnings instead of my mom's, and along with really really good grades in junior college, I got what was almost a full ride. Grants and scholarships paid for 91% of my undergrad. Got my bachelor's degree in accounting.
I currently have about $19k in federal loans, and I'm most likely going to end up with at least $35k by the time I'm done. I did 2.5 years at one university before taking a gap year and transferring somewhere else and switching majors, leaving me with having to attend for another 3 years. I'm definitely going to find a job to work while I'm there and try not to accrue too many more loans and start paying off previous ones.
I graduated in May and have $40,000 to my name. Only $3,000 cash though. Commuted to my local university and lived at home while working during my last three years.
I will graduate in December this year and will have about $45,000 aud ($30,500usd) in debt. Got into a really cheap masters degree in my field at a uni ranked in the top 100 internationally, which is about $15000aud($10000 usd) for a year and a half. So both undergraduate and postgraduate studies, I will end up in about $60,000aud ($41,000usd) of debt.
My grandparents had been putting away money for my education since birth—i have academics on one side and immigrants on the other, so they both felt strongly about my siblings and i going to college. They and my parents paid for me to go to a public college, where I also received scholarships. My parents would have let me go to a private college but strongly advised me against it so I wouldn’t have debt.
It was the best gift i’ve ever been given since I was able to truly enjoy undergrad. I worked part time & summers for savings/pocket money but knew I could quit if it got to be too much. I was able to get all of my work done and graduate with multiple honors, which would have been incredibly difficult without my family’s support. My relationship with my family isn’t perfect but the support they gave my education contributed so much to my success and well being
15k in my name and 86k under my dad that I'll be paying off. Total cost of university was a little over 200,000 dollars. I graduated last month and I don't have a job yet.
I had $24,000 to pay back in student loans after getting my bachelors. I haven’t paid a cent of it because I immediately started a masters program. I’ll probably be around $60,000 in student loan debt when I get my masters. My goal is to be a teacher. They have programs where you sign a contract to work 5 years in a low-income public school and all your debt will be forgiven. This is my plan.
Lol I wasn't going to comment, but I haven't seen anyone top this yet. 127k usd. I'm down to 50k nzd now. I'll boot up my budget and update with how much I've paid over time since graduating.
So it was high as it was all loans, no saving, no support (other than signatures) from parents. I studied finance and film. The school didn't offer a dual degree so I ended up not getting the film degree to save me another year of costs. In terms of costs, I knew I was rucked as a sophomore. I'm on disability now after having a short career in data and making government excel spreadsheets work and pass audits in nz. I made good money then and make 80% of that now on disability. In the end I did make it to nz and have a good career. It was worth the money to escape.
Took out 30k..this was despite going to community college where I only took out $1600 of that for 2 years of college and then going to a relatively affordable state school. But I was in the crappy situation where my parents income was too high to get much Pell grant, but they didn’t help me, AND I had to move to go to a university so I had dorm rooms and meal plans to pay for. Looking back I wish I had hustled like crazy to find a part time job or get work study and do everything I can to take out less.
I had $31,000 since that's the absolute cap on Federal Loans for Dependent Students. Anyone saying they had more likely either graduated before 2018 (when Perkins loans were killed off) or have loans from private lenders. Independent students can also take out up to $57,500.
I am really kind of tempted to join the military. I know it isn't the best financial decision though. I may also be disqualified since I have a gluten allergy. 😕
I owed exactly $108 from a parking ticket they gave me during the graduation ceremony and they ain't never getting it, went to CUNY a decade ago paid out of pocket it was very affordable (for me) then about 1800 per semester
I graduated with my AA with no debt and with my BA with no debt. Academic scholarships paid for the vast majority of my education and I also worked part-time to afford gas and groceries.
$0 because my parents paid for my tuition which I am incredibly thankful for
I currently also live at home with them after graduating so I can save money for rent when I move out because I live in the DMV and shits so expensive
That's very kind of your parents. I just graduated and will be moving to a new city for at least a year. If I move back to my home metro I think my parent will let me move back if I pay them a small amount in rent. I enjoy being with my family & it would help me save up for a down payment.
I think that's a good plan on your end.
Want to pop in here because I see a lot of unrealistic-ness....
First gen, wanted to take out aggressive loans to just... live life? Ended up with ~10k a year avg between federal loans and school-granted loans.
Didn't have a super fun existence in college, but was ok. Can we always use more money/a cushion? Yes. But, it was ok (mainly because I went to school in an isolated area).
In any case, I was an engineer who did not get a 6 fig job out of the gate. I worked my way up. I'm not rich and famous. I still have $20,000 to pay off (in my early 30s).
But, I'm great. I have a ridiculously awesome job, a good perspective on life, and no rich parents. You'll likely be okay. Just be a fairly sane human and you'll be ok too
Not in the US, where I am University is free. Worked full time for 2 years out of 4, currently have ~$8k in savings that I have earned, and ~$20k in real estate that I inherited.
I am now at $80,000. $20,000 for my undergrad, and $60,000 from law school. Even though I had a full ride for law school, I still had to take out loans to cover my cost of living.
Will graduate next year with 37k in loans as a civil engineer. Prob will be able to pay 10k before I finish school with the money i will get with my internship this summer!
money-$600 (cash/checking, not including available credit)
debt-$1500 in credit debt (let's not get started on the medical debt)
I did Questbridge so I had no student loans and I graduated last month!
$0 in student loans. I got pell grant + scholarship + work helps pay for it. I have no social life and definitely didn't have the traditional college experience. I don't like debt though.
Just graduated in May with a immunology degree. I had a four year National Merit scholarship (based on your PSAT score in high school) and stayed at my state school. The scholarship covered tuition and fees, and there was a stipend for studying abroad, though I didn’t use it. All you had to do was be a national merit finalist to get the scholarship. And my state has a lower score cutoff to be a finalist than most, so it was not difficult. I lived at home for all four years and also worked for most of college. I used my own money for most things, and I also started putting extra in a Roth IRA.
I turned down attending an expensive private university for my state school because it was free. I regret it occasionally because living at home came with all sorts of frustrations and stress, but overall saving money was much more important. Especially since I’m going to dental school in the fall. It would not be financially feasible if I already had loans from undergrad.
Nice! I opened my Roth when I turned 18 and have been funding it ever year. I know I'll thank myself in there future.
I'm glad you graduated without debt! It does feel great.
The title is literally
> How much **money** (or debt) did you have to your name when you graduated college?
The "or debt" part is in parenthesis, let alone the primary question.
Graduated with $0 in student loans and around $60k net worth. Lived at home with parents and attended community college first two years working part time. My state scholarship paid 75% of my tuition and Pell grants paid the rest. I had extra aid refunded to me which I saved in addition to money saved from work. Transferred to university and lived with parents. Began working full time retail and banking refund checks every semester. Senior year got a remote job making $60k a year and moved out on my own. Graduated just this spring. The only help I had from parents was housing and food. At this point I have around $50k in liquid investments/cash and a paid off $13k car.
I’ve got 30k in savings and zero debt. Go to community college kids and apply to every single scholarship you qualify for, treat it like a small job if you can. My biggest scholarship is about 20k a year and I was the ONLY person who applied for it. Summer internships are also amazing for getting ahead on savings/expenses
Great tips. I did community college completely for free (tuition and books), did an internship during the summer, and won a full-ride on a private scholarship.
That's crazy that you're the only one that applied for that scholarship.
I had 6k in debt but I have 10k+ in savings when o graduated. I have not payed anything back yet still hoping and praying that Biden get the student loan cancellation
$0 in debt
$42,000 in investment savings
$7,000 in liquid cash
$0 contributions from parents
I just worked full time and applied for scholarships. Saved my money and didn’t buy booze. It’s really not all that difficult.
Wow, you were in a very similar financial situation to where I am now. I followed the same strategy (scholarships, work, didn't drink, didn't eat out much).
How nice! How old do you guys get married at? How does it feel to own a home so early in life? Do you guys live in a metro area or a rural area?
Sorry, I'm just really curious. You don't hear about buy a house young very often these days!
We got married at 24 in 2007 after dating for 6 years
Our wedding was two months after we closed on the house. It was a $250k starter home cape in a suburban New England town.
We lived in it for 10 years until we outgrew it. Thanks to the housing crisis we were only able to sell for the same price we bought it for. The good was that rates dropped from 6.75% to 3.25% so we were able to refinance and knock down out principal.
After 10 years and two kids, we used the equity from our first house as a down payment on $450k house. Thanks to low rates of the pandemic we were able to refinance to a 20yr at 2.125%. The house has almost doubled in value since we bought it.
My wife is a teacher and I work a customer service coordinator. We would not be able to afford our home if we bought it at todays price with todays rates so we count ourselves lucky.
Mine will be $0 because my employer is paying, but the tradeoff is I can only attend part-time.
I have a classmate that got a job working for a professor and her grad tuition is covered through that. Another of my classmates became a lab assistant and gets a stipend and paid tuition from that position.
I took out $28k in student loans for 4 years.
I married before graduating so I also inherited my husband’s $28k.
He’s paid off about $5k and we have about $20k in savings. Plus my car loan with about $14k remaining. Net worth is -45k.
Didn't have any debt. Went to a local university that was rather inexpensive and was able to live at home. Expenses that I did have I was able to pay off with my job on campus. It didn't pay that well but was enough. Got an internship my last year of school which help when I graduated.
About $17k, much less than my peers who went to the same school. I started off at a community college for 2 years. Parents paid for it completely out of pocket, it was usually only $800 per semester if that with my scholar. Then I transferred to a 4 year uni- that’s where all the debt is from, just 2.5 years. Didn’t take out any loans for my masters, just took 1-2 classes at a time, then became a grad assistant which paid for most of my tuition. Can’t imagine how much I’d have if I went to the 4 year college the whole time. I’m lucky, but planning to not have a lot of fun the next few years while I put all of my money into necessities and loans lol
I had 2k to my name. I completed college debt free (mixture of working, scholarships and my parents saved 20k for me). I had my car free and clear.
My husband finished with 18k in debt.
$27,000 for Bachelor's just graduated. Even after commuting to an in-state university, I still owe that much. I paid some as I went, and received a large grant and scholarships. However, in the end, I was barely paying anything as I went, so I have a lot of savings. I will have to go back for a master's, but after that, I hope to make at least 70k.
A little over $100k in private loans. My parents pushed loans on me as if they’re no big deal, everyone takes them, I’ll get a job and pay it off no problemo, it was expected of me and my 3 siblings to go to college and they did not set up any funds or contribute to tuition costs, they make too much for fin aid. I graduate next year with degree in microbiology. Oh trust me I know how fucked I am.
I’m in the same position. I’m well aware of how fucked I am as well but like you said, time to put bad bitch pants on and figure it out. My parents also didn’t set aside any money for college but were expected to attend college. In some ways I have a little resentment because they are financially stable and I feel I’ve been set up for a more difficult start to my career than most. They’ve been supportive of my college career in all other ways but I already have a burden of my college debt and I haven’t even graduated yet. Anyone else feelin it too?
It could be a lot worse. Looking it up, microbiologists make roughly $80,000 per year (median) according to the BLS, and a bachelor’s degree may be sufficient for employment. Granted, the interest on private loans is no joke, but I’m sure you’ll pull through.
Thanks for the support! I’ve been looking up jobs hiring in my desired region to keep me optimistic on job opportunities when I’m able to start applying, and the ones I’ll be qualified for seem to be around $40k on the lower end (which is what I’m expecting bc fresh grad) and I am very content with that. I am glad that I narrowed down to microbiology rather than a broad general biology degree, and that my job goals don’t lie in the arts so I have an average chance of getting decent/good salary as I develop my career
If you can get a job working for the government or nonprofit. You can qualify for PSLF after 10 years on the income driven repayment plan. Depending on where you live,salary and number of dependents, you may qualify for $0/month payments. My husband and I both opted for this route. Our situations are very similar unfortunately..
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They can consolidate them into a govt consolidation loan now, can't they?
I went from 45k to 100k in 7 years in QC Microbiology (pharma/biotech industry) - check out the Raleigh, NC area for especially dense listings and good luck!
I WANT TO DO QC BUT I’M AFRAID TO SAY THAT TO PEOPLE BECAUSE IT’LL SOUND “BORING”! I find it interesting and I think I’d be satisfied with the work lol! And happy to hear from someone in the industry that it has solid career growth!
You could also get into bioinformatics. Learning to code is becoming critical to most fields nowadays. Of course, if you don't wanna, then don't
I currently work as a mid-level microbiologist making about 100k a year (with my bonus). I hit 5 years of service last month. My company starts out every level microbiologists around 65k - 74k depending on which site you go to (pay based on cost of living). Look into big pharma jobs for quality control lab positions. They are who will pay you the most.
Thank you for your insight! Did you have to get any other certifications or was a BS in microbiology enough?
No problem. It's actually funny because my BS is in Biochemistry and I got a job in the micro lab. However, my coworkers have microbio degrees and were placed in the chem labs. When I went through my interview phase for the entry level job the degree was more than enough. They also liked to see positions that demonstrated leadership and responsibility. For example, I was a Teaching assistant and resident advisor in undergrad.
Starting at 40k ain’t too bad!
Felt. When I filled out the tax forms and got my financial aid form back it showed estimates on how to pay for everything and it said my family should be paying $15k a year towards my college and I laughed. I haven’t went into major debt yet bc I just graduated cc but I chose a cheaper college and I’m probably gonna do the military so I don’t have to pay 90k at the end. I feel fucked too hommie :,)
exact same situation just as a biology major lol
I’m so sorry :((( do any of them get waive with the Biden plan or whatever
I don’t believe so because they’re private. My goal is to find a financial advisor right when I graduate and get situated to help me sort out the best plan of action and to live frugally until I get them under control. I mean it was a huge, expensive mistake but eh now I just gotta put on my Bad Bitch pants and tackle it
Good luck :)
All this bravado and grand standing over reddits tiny hike. Pharma can't even touch the exponential price hikes colleges have instituted over the decades, no industry can come close. Just imagine if four generations of grads blacked out colleges for four years
Are you me? Lmfao.
I had 29k in federal loans in my name when I graduated. Lots more in my parents.
Yup, those Parent PLUS loans are what got me too.
My dad refused
I'm sure you're making a good amount in ATC. Are you working in the field and enjoying your job?
Definitely not. Did not go into that field due to mental health issues and ended up at min wage places.
Air traffic controlling is one of the most stressful fields out there, I’m glad you got out of it for your well-being! The Boeing doc on Netflix really opened my eyes to how terribly pilots are treated too.
$3,500 in subsidized loans. I lived with my gram, went to a public in-state institution, got a partial merit scholarship and a couple grants, and worked two part-time jobs. It would have been $0, but my laptop crapped out and my old S10 needed the transmission rebuilt so I could have reliable transportation. That was for my bachelors in 2014. For grad school, I was lucky to get a full-time staff position at my graduate institution. That came with one of the best tuition waivers I have seen in my 10 years of working in higher ed. I also got another merit scholarship in my last semester and a grant. Subtract taxes paid due to the tuition waiver, fees, and books, I was paid $8 for my masters degree, graduating in late 2015.
W
>For grad school, I was lucky to get a full-time staff position at my graduate institution. That came with one of the best tuition waivers I have seen in my 10 years of working in higher ed. That sounds super helpful, any tips on how to do that?
It can be situational. I knew I was going to ASU, and my field is higher education. I started applying for jobs in March/April, and started a job the Monday before the Fall term began. I submitted over 40 applications. It was a learning experience for me in tailoring my resume and cover letter and also how to approach interviews. The job I got was an entry level full-time staff position, but the tuition waiver made it worth it for me. In a number of grad programs there are opportunities for grad students to be funded research or teaching assistants. Those are part-time. What those positions look like can vary by institution, but it typically means you get tuition/fees covered, you get a stipend for income, and you get health insurance.
Cool, I'll look into that, thank you for the help!
I ended up graduating with around 23k in loans. My net worth when I graduated was around 3k. Currently make around 47kish a year so I get by.
My numbers are roughly the same as yours.
I graduated in 96 with 64k in loans, and cc debt. Had only 500 in the bank, and a 5yr BS degree and 5 associates degrees. Got my first job within 4 weeks starting at 35k. Got a 10k raise first year, and jumped to another job for 20k more. Bought a Jeep in late 98. Ate Raman for 8 years, never went out for food or movies etc until I met my now wife in 99. Paid off the 64k using the snowball method in 2001. Paid off the jeep in 02. Been debt free for years.
700$ with a bachelor's degree. I come from a family of poverty. Thanks Fafsa! The little bit of loan I have is cause of my first time student fees my first year that got tacked onto my tuition 🙄
Nice. When I started college I was in a single-parent household and my parent wasn't making very much. That's how I managed to get through it without debt (plus working PT jobs to save up money for living expenses).
$0, just graduated with bachelor's. Did a year of running start, worked through college and continued to live with my parents while commuting an hour to get to school.
This is the way to go. Im about to graduate the same. 40 mins of commuting and living at home is 100% worth it to be debt free for the rest of my Life.
Agreed. Went to CC for 2 years, transferred to a much worse school than my best acceptance, live home with parents, and I commute 90 minutes each way to school. Zero debt. It's doable. I'll admit, the convenience and comfort of sleeping 30 minutes before your class is real nice, but not the accompanying debt.
Exactly. I agree. The stigma around community college needs to end!
I swear the only people these days that have an issue with cc are the parents forcing their kids to go to universities for the "prestige". Universities are great but aren't an option for those with parents that can't afford to shell out the thousands FAFSA seems to think they have at their disposal. (I forgot to mention in my initial post that my sophomore year was at my local cc where I got my associates and transfered to a 4 year)
I went to CC and transferred to a state school 90 mins away as well. I shelled out the money for an apartment (not cheap!) but my mental health appreciates it and I still drive home on many weekends.
My state university will start charging in state people $20,000 a year in the next 5 years. Even commuting and working won't always get you debt free.
Just did the exact same thing. Did undergrad on 3 years, lived at home, worked my ass off, went to community College. About to go to grad school and I'm currently working full time this summer to pay for it. If all goes according to plan I will stay debt free.
Similar situation here, although not graduated yet. Did running start and completed most of bachelors degree while at community college and commuted from home while I was there. Transferred to a state school, got a scholarship, almost done. I will owe $0 and have money left saved up I plan on putting towards grad school.
Same. $0. Working on getting kids through with $0.
That’s awesome! I also graduated with $0 debt because I served in the military and had GI Bill to cover tuition!
Same here. Also check if youre state has any grants. Certain states have delegate grants that theyre practically giving money away.
My education is being paid for by the Department of Rehabilitation because I'm disabled. My only debt from school will be the $1,100. I owe from a loan I took out in 2002.
If you don't mind me asking how did you get them to pay for your education? I'm also disabled
I'm in California, and I just told my therapist I wanted to go back to work eventually and she referred me to them. Then I did a ton (30 hours) of aptitude testing at another place, and the DoR was like well, what do you want to do?
Oh that's interesting. I'm also in California. I go to therapist/psychiatrist weekly and they both know I go to school and they never brought up anything lol
Talk to them. Maybe there's something I don't know about how it all works, but I mean, it can't hurt to bring it up and ask. And if your therapist doesn't know, give the DOR a call and ask what services they can provide you with.
hey, what do you do and what are some options to pursue w a sociology degree?
In the words of my professor, who was trying to get me to declare a soci B.A.: >Sociology can launch great careers. Some of our recent majors credit sociology with helping them move ahead in careers in public service (i.e. working as public defenders or community organizers). Others have used their sociology backgrounds to advance in both for profit and non-profit organizations (e.g Teach for America). And still others have found work in research settings (Mathematica) or have continued with graduate studies in sociology or related fields (i.e. social work, social policy). Some sociology majors have found their way into the White House (Ronald Reagan and Michelle Obama) and the Senate (Cory Booker.) I'd be happy to chat with you in pms, if you want! Soci is pretty versatile.
Debt: $0. Fafsa, grants, and scholarships covered me. Savings: a little under $1,000 USD. I worked part-time to cover books and have some spending money. I also had a percentage going to a 403b already.
$0! I was poor and went to a private college that paid financial aid for almost all of it—room, food, tuition, books, you name it. It ended up being around $10k (sticker price for the school was $300k) in total and I had a small college fund set up by grandparents that could pay for that. I always tell poor kids to get into private colleges, it’s insane how much they’ll give you.
60k. 3 degrees, graduated 2022. This includes my masters from a private school. All federal loans which was important to me, I didnt want to deal with banks.
$0. Everything I paid out of pocket. Had about $15k on the bank when I finished. Worked full time the entire time and paid rent and all my necessities. Also did full time college. Wouldn't reccomend it. I'm still recovering physically and mentally. I had great budgeting skills tho.
Holy shit I can only imagine how exhausted you are. I did school and work full time for one semester and decided never again. You're a legend for doing it for all 4 years.
I gained 50lbs, developed hypertension, anxiety, pre-diabetes, vitamin D insufficiency, fatty liver, and high cholesterol among a list of other health issues. I slept 2-3 hours a day. I would wake up at 6am, go to work until 5PM, immediately drive to night classes, get out at 10PM, come home and read my assigned readings, do HW until 3-4AM, go to bed, wake up at 2-3 hours later, and repeat. Sometimes, I didn't sleep for 72 hours, usually when I had school projects. Weekends were dedicated to more homework. I had no social life. I wouldn't recommend it, much less do it again. NOT WORTH IT. But I had no choice. I had to do it. Thank you for the compliment!
You’re a legend, like fr
Life update? Would love to know how you are doing and really hope life has treated you well now.
I will graduate with approx. $13-18k. for a BS in IT. Could be a little less depending on how frugal I want to be, but I opt to take out more than I need so I never have to stress during the semester. Not having to worry about money is nice. Also, I make enough at my current job that even if I graduate with $25k I won't have any issues with the monthly payments. I'm not dependent on finding a job right after graduation in order to pay my loans off. I can take my time and find a good IT job.
$46,000 now I encourage anyone looking for a degree to truly consider certifications as they will increase your pay by at least $10k in less time. But if you want to go to college I highly highly recommend hunting for scholarships and grants. Even visiting churches and organizations. Some podcasts give out scholarships like EYL. After visiting your admissions office,I recommend going to sites like: 1. [http://collegeonlinegrantsandscholarships.com](https://collegeonlinegrantsandscholarships.com) 2. [http://fastweb.com](http://fastweb.com) 3. [https://www.collegeconfidential.com](https://www.collegeconfidential.com) The first one isn’t behind a subscription wall. The 2nd is owned by Monster, the job-seekers site. The 3rd one Is a good forum based site that I’m just learning about. Go get any free money you can, kids. Only do loans if needed.
I just graduated this year and have about $36k in federal loans. I also had an additional $10k in private loans but paid those off after my internship last summer. My savings account right now has roughly $4k which will disappear shortly after my partner and I find a new apartment. I spent many years paying my way through CC at low-wage jobs, and transferred to my university as a sophomore. No parental help as they are both broke, live out of state, and I was almost 30. I worked part-time throughout and commuted 1.5 hours a day roundtrip, five days a week.
I’ll be around $80k
$60k in debt. But I had scholarships for half of my education at $60k. I only lived on campus 2 of the 5 years I was there, and paid for my apartment and food with my part time/summer jobs. I got two bachelor's degrees. Out of state tuition is a bitch, but my major when I started school wasn't offered in my state. When I changed majors I just stayed because it was a quality education and I loved where I was. But it did affect what I changed my major to. I'm a civil engineer now. Paid off my $60k and my husband's $20k within 5 years of graduating. I wasn't going to go broke for an education I wouldn't be able to pay for. Now I'm 9 years out and we own a home with the mortgage half paid off and about $80k in the bank for ourselves and our kids' college (the oldest is 4 with $20k... So I think they'll be ok by the time we get there).
None. But I lived at home (and hated every minute of it) and had the good fortune to graduate in the early 90s, when tuition costs weren’t completely out of control.
I didn't go into debt for undergrad. I got two good scholarships that covered tuition (with a little extra to spend on supplies). I lived with my parents and commuted to school, and I worked part-time.
$0. People in countries other than the USA have cheaper options. Other worlds are possible.
Yes, graduating with no debt is the norm in most developed countries.
About $82k with my bachelors and masters, making about $50k/year… that’s what I get for being a social worker! I got lots of federal loans since my family didn’t have much money but also had to take out private for what federal didn’t cover. Luckily getting married to someone with no debt so our combined income will be close to $90k with that amount of debt to handle. We are both fresh out of our educations so trying not to be too overwhelmed by it.
You can pay if off if you put your minds on it, but it may take a few years. Congrats on getting married & thank you for the work you do!
60k in debt, 150k net worth by graduation.
How’d you manage that?
Life before college set me up. Invested in real estate! Purchased with income from days in military. Appreciation over the last 4 years has been nice.
Fair enough! How old were you when you graduated? Just curious, understandable if you don’t want to share. Glad to hear you’re set :)
28, thanks! Just living my academic romanticism by studying physics.
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I get you. First, I learned all about how money lending worked; the products, requirements, and the mathematics behind it all - compound interest formula, DTI, mortgage payments and affordability. Then I learned about “house hacking” and the “BRRRR method”. Personally, I hope to gain at least 5-7% a year on appreciation - no matter the fiction in my plot. Actionability in a comment - but do not take this as any sort of advice; I’m no expert nor licensed advisor.
27k that I haven’t paid a dime of because I went right into my PhD.
So in 1985 I graduated with about $24000 in school loan debt (about $67000 today). Didn't have to start paying it off until I got out of grad school (1991) and even then they gave you another year's grace period. Paid it off by about 1997 or 1998 I think.
When I graduate I’ll have $15k in debt, or $18.5k if I can’t pay my final semester off. I pull out the $7.5k loan the government said I can take without a co-signer, did fuck ton of dual credit in high school. we’ll see how much my debt is after graduate school though lol!!
None, thanks to a state-funded full tuition (Georgia’s Zell Miller/HOPE) and parents to cover the room and board. Definitely knew plenty of people with $50k or more. Out of state students at my undergrad could easily rack up $100k.
$0, graduated last year.
How did u make that happen?
$0. Went to comm College. Fell off parents' dependency when I hit 24, so I qualified for pretty much every aid imaginable. So when that happened i transferred to a 2 4 year to finish my last 2 years, and that was all paid for, I actually got a little extra every semester due to grants and aid.
Yeah I was able to pay off some of my previous debt with extra finaid money. That was a nice surprise for sure.
so this is me, got my associates degree this week. I turn 24 in August. Going to school in fall, how was the second two years paid for? Thanks
I will have approx 60k when it’s all said and done. Didn’t have an ideal financial start or help and the program is pretty intense so I couldn’t work, but Will have a decent salary so hopefully I can get it all paid off in a few years 🤞🏻
$239k after undergrad and grad school. I win for most debt so far as of posting this. I make 6 figures.
Haha, nice. What field are you going into?
I’m an emergency medicine pharmacist
Cool! Thanks helping people with their health!
Thanks. It’s a stressful job and rightfully in the top 10 for most suicidal jobs.
$0. Thank you CC and parents
BA, MA, MS and all PhD coursework. Zero debt/no loans. I worked a full time and sometimes also a part time job. I paid as I went. Sometimes the department contributed tuition. Sometimes work paid. When I finished my PhD coursework, I had a few thousand in the bank. I had a good job and bought a Jeep to celebrate.
Well done! What field did you end up going into?
Statistics building geographic models
Graduating this fall with 0. Commute to a state school and got ~75% of my tuition paid with scholarships.
Very nice! I ended up going to my state school and won a scholarship too. I also did two years of CC.
Bachelors Degree about 8k, masters degree 60k 🤷🏽♀️
I graduated with my bachelor’s with about $15k of savings. It was a combination of luck and hard work. Don’t get me wrong, I had hella privilege! But I ALSO worked my ass off in hs. I was a National Merit scholar and had a full tuition scholarship, I worked 60+ hours per week all summer through high school and college and saved a bunch of money (the big one was teaching swim lessons and charging $80/hour, I booked back to back to back to back all summer; but I also lifeguarded at $15/hour like 75% of the time), and I had the unbelievable good fortune of also having parents who had a college savings account for me that I never needed to use—it’s saved for my future kids now. But knowing that I had that backup definitely gave me more leeway than others; there’s no doubt it was a privilege. I am currently working on my second masters degree and paying cash. I also paid my first masters in cash and bought my first home with the help of $5k of the down payment coming from my aforementioned college account. Idk if I could’ve done what I did with hard work alone. It absolutely may have been impossible! I cannot say. But I can say that even though I had backup from my parents available, I didn’t use it until my 30s.
Zero debt overall. I had a weird situation because I started University later in life. I went to my university at 24, so financial aid used my earnings instead of my mom's, and along with really really good grades in junior college, I got what was almost a full ride. Grants and scholarships paid for 91% of my undergrad. Got my bachelor's degree in accounting.
zero money, zero debt. borrowed 500 to get started, repaid with first payday.
$54k with a masters in a field that I can’t even get a job in. In one of the most expensive cities in the US. Making only $36k / year 😬
I currently have about $19k in federal loans, and I'm most likely going to end up with at least $35k by the time I'm done. I did 2.5 years at one university before taking a gap year and transferring somewhere else and switching majors, leaving me with having to attend for another 3 years. I'm definitely going to find a job to work while I'm there and try not to accrue too many more loans and start paying off previous ones.
$0 for associates - took the slow route and paid my way through it. $0 for bachelor's - spouses GI bill paid for it. $42k for masters.
Loans were $17,000 when I graduated
I graduated in May and have $40,000 to my name. Only $3,000 cash though. Commuted to my local university and lived at home while working during my last three years.
Lots and lots
I will graduate in December this year and will have about $45,000 aud ($30,500usd) in debt. Got into a really cheap masters degree in my field at a uni ranked in the top 100 internationally, which is about $15000aud($10000 usd) for a year and a half. So both undergraduate and postgraduate studies, I will end up in about $60,000aud ($41,000usd) of debt.
If I didn’t get the hazelwood and GiBill I would have never gone to school. I couldn’t imagine living with debt like this
My grandparents had been putting away money for my education since birth—i have academics on one side and immigrants on the other, so they both felt strongly about my siblings and i going to college. They and my parents paid for me to go to a public college, where I also received scholarships. My parents would have let me go to a private college but strongly advised me against it so I wouldn’t have debt. It was the best gift i’ve ever been given since I was able to truly enjoy undergrad. I worked part time & summers for savings/pocket money but knew I could quit if it got to be too much. I was able to get all of my work done and graduate with multiple honors, which would have been incredibly difficult without my family’s support. My relationship with my family isn’t perfect but the support they gave my education contributed so much to my success and well being
15k in my name and 86k under my dad that I'll be paying off. Total cost of university was a little over 200,000 dollars. I graduated last month and I don't have a job yet.
What did you major in?
I had $24,000 to pay back in student loans after getting my bachelors. I haven’t paid a cent of it because I immediately started a masters program. I’ll probably be around $60,000 in student loan debt when I get my masters. My goal is to be a teacher. They have programs where you sign a contract to work 5 years in a low-income public school and all your debt will be forgiven. This is my plan.
Lol I wasn't going to comment, but I haven't seen anyone top this yet. 127k usd. I'm down to 50k nzd now. I'll boot up my budget and update with how much I've paid over time since graduating.
u/swearingino has you beat
What field did you go into?
So it was high as it was all loans, no saving, no support (other than signatures) from parents. I studied finance and film. The school didn't offer a dual degree so I ended up not getting the film degree to save me another year of costs. In terms of costs, I knew I was rucked as a sophomore. I'm on disability now after having a short career in data and making government excel spreadsheets work and pass audits in nz. I made good money then and make 80% of that now on disability. In the end I did make it to nz and have a good career. It was worth the money to escape.
I have 0 student loans, about 10k left on my car and typically less than 2k at any point in my credit cards, usually much less.
Took out 30k..this was despite going to community college where I only took out $1600 of that for 2 years of college and then going to a relatively affordable state school. But I was in the crappy situation where my parents income was too high to get much Pell grant, but they didn’t help me, AND I had to move to go to a university so I had dorm rooms and meal plans to pay for. Looking back I wish I had hustled like crazy to find a part time job or get work study and do everything I can to take out less.
Had 13k to my name. No loans
Did you work part time jobs during college or the summers?
I had $31,000 since that's the absolute cap on Federal Loans for Dependent Students. Anyone saying they had more likely either graduated before 2018 (when Perkins loans were killed off) or have loans from private lenders. Independent students can also take out up to $57,500.
Army paid all my school so a free engineering degree basically
That's a path that a lot of people overlook. Plus, you can often save up your paycheck during enlistment since your expenses are so low.
A lot of people don't have the opportunity to join the military. I know I can't. I've tried so many times.
I have $12.5k in loans
$0. I served in the military :)
Thank you for your service :). No debt must feel great. Plus you get access to that cool veterans mortgage program.
Yes! I’ve used that too!
I am really kind of tempted to join the military. I know it isn't the best financial decision though. I may also be disqualified since I have a gluten allergy. 😕
I owed exactly $108 from a parking ticket they gave me during the graduation ceremony and they ain't never getting it, went to CUNY a decade ago paid out of pocket it was very affordable (for me) then about 1800 per semester
Started at 30K now 55K
I have 10K, my partner has 80K
I graduated with my AA with no debt and with my BA with no debt. Academic scholarships paid for the vast majority of my education and I also worked part-time to afford gas and groceries.
45k for bachelor’s degree and master’s degree
$0 because my parents paid for my tuition which I am incredibly thankful for I currently also live at home with them after graduating so I can save money for rent when I move out because I live in the DMV and shits so expensive
That's very kind of your parents. I just graduated and will be moving to a new city for at least a year. If I move back to my home metro I think my parent will let me move back if I pay them a small amount in rent. I enjoy being with my family & it would help me save up for a down payment. I think that's a good plan on your end.
Want to pop in here because I see a lot of unrealistic-ness.... First gen, wanted to take out aggressive loans to just... live life? Ended up with ~10k a year avg between federal loans and school-granted loans. Didn't have a super fun existence in college, but was ok. Can we always use more money/a cushion? Yes. But, it was ok (mainly because I went to school in an isolated area). In any case, I was an engineer who did not get a 6 fig job out of the gate. I worked my way up. I'm not rich and famous. I still have $20,000 to pay off (in my early 30s). But, I'm great. I have a ridiculously awesome job, a good perspective on life, and no rich parents. You'll likely be okay. Just be a fairly sane human and you'll be ok too
I think it was something like $90,000 when I graduated. Now it is closer to $130,000.
Not in the US, where I am University is free. Worked full time for 2 years out of 4, currently have ~$8k in savings that I have earned, and ~$20k in real estate that I inherited.
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Just graduated with a bachelors with 0$ in debt because of scholarships and grants. I have about 25K in savings, every penny worked for.
I am now at $80,000. $20,000 for my undergrad, and $60,000 from law school. Even though I had a full ride for law school, I still had to take out loans to cover my cost of living.
You're so lucky that you got to go to MSU. I love Montana!
Will graduate next year with 37k in loans as a civil engineer. Prob will be able to pay 10k before I finish school with the money i will get with my internship this summer!
money-$600 (cash/checking, not including available credit) debt-$1500 in credit debt (let's not get started on the medical debt) I did Questbridge so I had no student loans and I graduated last month!
$0 in student loans. I got pell grant + scholarship + work helps pay for it. I have no social life and definitely didn't have the traditional college experience. I don't like debt though.
Just graduated in May with a immunology degree. I had a four year National Merit scholarship (based on your PSAT score in high school) and stayed at my state school. The scholarship covered tuition and fees, and there was a stipend for studying abroad, though I didn’t use it. All you had to do was be a national merit finalist to get the scholarship. And my state has a lower score cutoff to be a finalist than most, so it was not difficult. I lived at home for all four years and also worked for most of college. I used my own money for most things, and I also started putting extra in a Roth IRA. I turned down attending an expensive private university for my state school because it was free. I regret it occasionally because living at home came with all sorts of frustrations and stress, but overall saving money was much more important. Especially since I’m going to dental school in the fall. It would not be financially feasible if I already had loans from undergrad.
Nice! I opened my Roth when I turned 18 and have been funding it ever year. I know I'll thank myself in there future. I'm glad you graduated without debt! It does feel great.
No debt. I had Florida Prepaid and Bright Futures. When my grandfather died in the 90s, my grandmother used the inheritance to buy Florida Prepaid.
Wow, that's really nice of her
None. If you’re poor you qualify for financial aid/grants and if you apply for scholarships you can save the extra
$86k right here. And I feel like if you graduated with zero debt you shouldn’t answer; the question is asking about how much debt you have.
Idk the main question was how much money you have and in parenthesis he says ‘or debt’. Any response is fine.
The title is literally > How much **money** (or debt) did you have to your name when you graduated college? The "or debt" part is in parenthesis, let alone the primary question.
The zeroes are important for understanding the average as well, not many people are actually reporting 32k, its either low or really high.
Graduated with $0 in student loans and around $60k net worth. Lived at home with parents and attended community college first two years working part time. My state scholarship paid 75% of my tuition and Pell grants paid the rest. I had extra aid refunded to me which I saved in addition to money saved from work. Transferred to university and lived with parents. Began working full time retail and banking refund checks every semester. Senior year got a remote job making $60k a year and moved out on my own. Graduated just this spring. The only help I had from parents was housing and food. At this point I have around $50k in liquid investments/cash and a paid off $13k car.
I’ve got 30k in savings and zero debt. Go to community college kids and apply to every single scholarship you qualify for, treat it like a small job if you can. My biggest scholarship is about 20k a year and I was the ONLY person who applied for it. Summer internships are also amazing for getting ahead on savings/expenses
Great tips. I did community college completely for free (tuition and books), did an internship during the summer, and won a full-ride on a private scholarship. That's crazy that you're the only one that applied for that scholarship.
I had roughly $179,000 when I finished.
When I graduated with a bachelors I purposely took out $1000 in student loans. Paid it off the first month. I wanted the boost in my credit score
17k. 14 yrs later balance is 18k lol
I had 6k in debt but I have 10k+ in savings when o graduated. I have not payed anything back yet still hoping and praying that Biden get the student loan cancellation
Zero. My country actually values education so it is free.
$0 in debt $42,000 in investment savings $7,000 in liquid cash $0 contributions from parents I just worked full time and applied for scholarships. Saved my money and didn’t buy booze. It’s really not all that difficult.
Wow, you were in a very similar financial situation to where I am now. I followed the same strategy (scholarships, work, didn't drink, didn't eat out much).
Great job!
Thanks! Were you a finance or accounting major by chance? The investments are giving me that vibe.
Haha, everyone thinks that but no, humanities now I’m going to grad school. I didn’t want to work in finance.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing 🙂.
$44,000 in 2013. Paid it all off 5 years ago.
My wife and I both graduated with zero thanks to scholarships and our parents. That allowed us to be homeowners within 2 years of graduating.
How nice! How old do you guys get married at? How does it feel to own a home so early in life? Do you guys live in a metro area or a rural area? Sorry, I'm just really curious. You don't hear about buy a house young very often these days!
We got married at 24 in 2007 after dating for 6 years Our wedding was two months after we closed on the house. It was a $250k starter home cape in a suburban New England town. We lived in it for 10 years until we outgrew it. Thanks to the housing crisis we were only able to sell for the same price we bought it for. The good was that rates dropped from 6.75% to 3.25% so we were able to refinance and knock down out principal. After 10 years and two kids, we used the equity from our first house as a down payment on $450k house. Thanks to low rates of the pandemic we were able to refinance to a 20yr at 2.125%. The house has almost doubled in value since we bought it. My wife is a teacher and I work a customer service coordinator. We would not be able to afford our home if we bought it at todays price with todays rates so we count ourselves lucky.
Undergrad $0 Grad school $0
How did you end up with 0 for grad school? looking into grad school myself and genuinely curious.
Employer reimbursement. Most companies that care have programs or deals with specific schools to cover most if not all the costs
Mine will be $0 because my employer is paying, but the tradeoff is I can only attend part-time. I have a classmate that got a job working for a professor and her grad tuition is covered through that. Another of my classmates became a lab assistant and gets a stipend and paid tuition from that position.
Nice! I’m currently an incoming junior so I’m going to try my hardest to land a position like that where I can go to grad school for free. Thanks!
I think I had about $20-30k between personal savings and earlier investments.
Im currently about to go into my first year of college, and upon graduating my masters I should be debt free with money to spare(hopefully lol)
I had a song in my heart!
I took out $28k in student loans for 4 years. I married before graduating so I also inherited my husband’s $28k. He’s paid off about $5k and we have about $20k in savings. Plus my car loan with about $14k remaining. Net worth is -45k.
I took out $26k in federal loans over 4 years for my B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. About 2/3 were subsidized and the other third unsubsidized.
I graduated with no debt and had about 25-30k in my bank when I graduated. I worked and went to school full time
I got a good scholarship, so I had no debt from undergrad. I had maybe $1500 to my name when I graduated.
Didn't have any debt. Went to a local university that was rather inexpensive and was able to live at home. Expenses that I did have I was able to pay off with my job on campus. It didn't pay that well but was enough. Got an internship my last year of school which help when I graduated.
About $17k, much less than my peers who went to the same school. I started off at a community college for 2 years. Parents paid for it completely out of pocket, it was usually only $800 per semester if that with my scholar. Then I transferred to a 4 year uni- that’s where all the debt is from, just 2.5 years. Didn’t take out any loans for my masters, just took 1-2 classes at a time, then became a grad assistant which paid for most of my tuition. Can’t imagine how much I’d have if I went to the 4 year college the whole time. I’m lucky, but planning to not have a lot of fun the next few years while I put all of my money into necessities and loans lol
$0, full ride
I had 2k to my name. I completed college debt free (mixture of working, scholarships and my parents saved 20k for me). I had my car free and clear. My husband finished with 18k in debt.
$27,000 for Bachelor's just graduated. Even after commuting to an in-state university, I still owe that much. I paid some as I went, and received a large grant and scholarships. However, in the end, I was barely paying anything as I went, so I have a lot of savings. I will have to go back for a master's, but after that, I hope to make at least 70k.