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We don't teach it enough but it works.

Student loan debt is an investment in yourself. You can make a good or poor investment choice.

the rule is the MAXIMUM SAFE DEBT equals two time the MEDIAN STARTING SALARY for YOUR MAJOR at YOUR COLLEGE , if it has over 80 percent or higher job placement within a year

Two examples. My son went to Rose Hulman Institute of Technology for chemical engineering. Median starting salary the year before he got there was about $72K. So, up to $144k is ok. He grado, got a job that paid $76k and had a $10k signing bonus from the company that he interned for. State of Indiana gives $7k to STEM majors from universities in Indiana if they work for at least 6 months in the state as a way to entice kids from out of state who go to IU, Purdue, Notre Dame,and RHIT to stay local and pay taxes. He has $120 k in student loans and is fine.

Sister in law went to a private school to be early childhood education in Kentucky. Starting salary for elementary education when she graduated was like $25k IF you could get a teaching job. She had close to $100k in student loans. That was bad debt. Especially, since she worked in a day care for 2 years at just above minimum wage because there was a glut of teachers for K-3. Add on the requirements to get a masters degree to renew your license beyond about 8 years in most states and that becomes unworkable. Luckily student loan forgiveness for teachers bailed her out.

I'm ignoring predatory for profit colleges because they are just a scam.

But bottom line is know what you can make. That determines how and where you can go to school (live at home, community college first, a school that is big on co-ops and working to reduce costs, etc).

There are too many people telling young people college is a waste of time and money. I hear it from youth that I work with all the time.

But maybe we shouldn't listen to philosophy or English majors who don't have teaching credentials and studied what was interesting instead of looking at investing in themselves.

I told every group of juniors or seniors if you want to major in art, philosophy, or some other pre unemployment major without a graduate degree you better minor in something that pays the bills. Our friend who did the flowers for our wedding had a degree in forestry and minored in accounting. She was an accountant to pay the bills and volunteered with park service education on the side. That's a plan.

Too many students aren't taught what us in the national curriculum and make poorly informed decisions.