Is 200k in student loans bad?
As of 2023, there are one million federal student loan borrowers who owe $200,000 or more, according to StudentAid.gov. The good news is that even though paying off such a large balance can be difficult, it's not impossible. You can refinance your loans or add a cosigner to improve or lower your interest rate.
Let's say you have $200,000 in student loans at 6% interest on a 10-year repayment term. Your monthly payments would be $2,220. If you can manage an additional $200 a month, you could save a total of $7,796 while trimming a year off your repayment plan.
So, how much is too much student loan debt? The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends borrowing no more than you expect to earn in one year from an entry-level position after graduation. However, this guideline does have a caveat.
Select a repayment plan.
Choose which repayment plan makes sense for you, such as an income-driven repayment plan or Public Service Loan Forgiveness. The latter option could allow you to pay off some of your $200,000 student loan debt faster if you're eligible for forgiveness.
What is considered a lot of student loan debt? A lot of student loan debt is more than you can afford to repay after graduation. For many this means having more than $70,000 – $100,000 of total student debt.
In 2023, 9.9 million borrowers held between $20,000-$40,000 in student loan debt, the largest group of borrowers by debt size. About 19.2 million borrowers had student debt between $10,000-$40,000. This group made up about 42% of all student loan borrowers. Only 1 million borrowers had debt over $200,000.
The monthly payment on a $200,000 student loan ranges from $2,121 to $17,957, depending on the APR and how long the loan lasts. For example, if you take out a $200,000 student loan and pay it back in 10 years at an APR of 5%, your monthly payment will be $2,121.
If you have too much student loan debt, you won't be able to save as much for retirement. Student loan debt can lower your credit score, especially if you fail to make on-time payments. Student debts may be forgiven under certain circ*mstances, but almost never if they are in default.
Data Summary. The average federal student loan debt in the U.S. is about $37,090. In 2019-2020, the average student loan amount borrowed for a four-year bachelor's degree was $30,500. Today's total federal student loan debt balance is just over $1.6 trillion.
Only a small percentage—about 6% of borrowers—owe $100,000 or more. Nationally, the average student loan balance per borrower is $39,032, so if you have $100,000 in student loan debt, you have about 2.5 times the national average balance.
How to aggressively pay off student loans?
Paying a little extra each month can reduce the interest you pay and reduce your total cost of your loan over time. Continue to make monthly payments even if you've satisfied future payments, and you'll pay off your loan faster.
- Pay more than the minimum payment. ...
- Get on a budget. ...
- Cut back your spending. ...
- Increase your income. ...
- Refinance your loans (only if it makes sense). ...
- Avoid income-driven repayment plans (IDRs). ...
- Don't bank on student loan forgiveness.
If you've exhausted other options and still need additional funds to help you pay for school, contact your school's financial aid office to find out if you're eligible for additional federal student loans. Just remember to borrow only what you need to pay your educational expenses.
$57,500 for undergraduates-No more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. $138,500 for graduate or professional students-No more than $65,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. The graduate aggregate limit includes all federal loans received for undergraduate study.
Having a student loan will affect your credit score. Your student loan amount and payment history are a part of your credit report. Your credit reports—which impact your credit score—will contain information about your student loans, including: Amount that you owe on your loans.
A 2023 survey conducted by Payroll.org highlighted that 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, a 6% increase from the previous year. In other words, more than three-quarters of Americans struggle to save or invest after paying for their monthly expenses.
The average student borrower takes 20 years to pay off their student loan debt. Some professional graduates take over 45 years to repay student loans. 21% of borrowers see their total student loan debt balance increase in the first 5 years of their loan.
The average debt an American owes is $103,358 across mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, auto loans, credit card debt, student loan debt, and other debts like personal loans. Data from Experian breaks down the average debt a consumer holds based on type, age, credit score, and state.
Can You Get A Mortgage And Buy A House With Student Loans? Yes, home buyers with student loans can qualify for a mortgage because you don't need to be 100% debt-free to buy a house. However, when a lender evaluates your application, they will look at your current debt, including your student loans.
A total college debt of $120,000 would put you well, well into the top 1% of borrowers for an undergraduate degree. In fact, it would be hard to even accomplish this; you'd have to use Parent PLUS loans or private loans (for which you'd need to qualify) or both.
Is a student loan considered a bad debt?
Student loans can be another example of “good debt.” Some student loans have lower interest rates compared to other loan types, and the interest may also be tax-deductible. You're financing an education, which can lead to career opportunities and potentially increasing income.
Interest can make student loans more expensive, while inflation can make that debt harder to manage alongside other bills. Paying off some of your debt during your studies could ease the burden later on and save you money on interest.
A student loan is not a normal debt
So if you don't earn enough, you don't repay. You don't start repaying your loan until you earn over a certain amount. Once you earn more than this threshold, you pay back 9% of your annual income above this threshold, until your debt is cleared or written off.
| Debt type | Average debt |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree debt | $29,100 |
| Graduate school loan debt | $77,300 |
| Parent PLUS loan debt | $29,526 |
| Law school debt | $132,740 |
Nearly eight in ten students graduate with less than $30,000 in debt. Among those who do borrow, the average debt at graduation is $27,400 — or $6,850 for each year of a four-year degree at a public university.
