--- title: An 'Affordable' College Degree Now Means Not Going Into Debt, According to Parents description: Most parents define an "affordable" college degree as one that doesn’t leave their kids with student loan debt, according to a new survey. authors: - name: Adam Hardy role: Lead Data Reporter url: https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/ bio: Adam Hardy has eight years of experience in personal finance journalism. At Money, he’s written extensively about student loans, including guides, explainers and breaking news. MuckRack named Adam one of the top 10 journalists covering student loans in the nation. education: University of South Florida, BA, Magazine Journalism at_money_since: 2021 articles: 498 covers: - Education - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology also_seen_in: - The Penny Hoarder - Forbes Advisor - Creative Loafing - The New York Times - The Washington Post - Bloomberg - Harvard Law School - The Federal Register - National Consumer Law Center - CBS News - Becker's Hospital Review - Business Insider - Mother Jones - The Week - Fortune - The Philadelphia Inquirer - National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NAFSAA) - Education Advisory Board (EAB) - The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) - This Morning with Gordon Deal - Empower - Reddit social: - https://www.x.com/hardyjournalism - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hardyjournalism/ editors: - name: Julia Glum role: Managing Editor url: https://money.com/author/julia-glum/ bio: Julia Glum joined Money in 2018 and specializes in covering financial trends that affect everyday Americans' wallets. She also writes Dollar Scholar, a weekly newsletter that teaches young adults how to navigate the messy world of money. education: University of Florida at_money_since: 2018 articles: 453 covers: - Education - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology also_seen_in: - Newsweek - International Business Times - CBS News - Good Morning America - WUSA9 - Pix 11 - The New York Times - Mashable - The Washington Post - CNBC - Politico social: - https://x.com/superjulia - https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-glum published: '2024-08-23T19:16:29.000Z' modified: '2024-08-23T19:16:29.000Z' section: Education tags: - News word_count: 532 canonical: https://money.com/affordable-college-degree-no-debt/ type: NewsArticle source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Students outside of the Firestone Library at Princeton University](https://img.money.com/2024/08/College-Affordable-College-Degrees.jpg) Americans are growing increasingly wary of taking out [student loans](https://money.com/student-loans/) to pay for college — and that includes parents. Most of them now define an affordable college degree as one that doesn’t leave their kids with student loan debt. When the consulting firm EAB, formerly known as the Education Advisory Board, asked parents what “affordable” or “manageable” college costs mean to them, about 52% defined the terms as taking on no debt whatsoever, according to a Money analysis of results released Thursday. The report is based on responses from over 1,600 parents and students considering college. Both groups agreed: The cost of college is their primary concern about higher education, and that worry has only been growing in recent years. ## Cover your college expenses with a Student Loan, so you can focus solely on your grades and education. ### With a Student Loan from College Ave, you can worry less about tuition and devote your energy to mapping out your future. Click on your state and take the first step today. [View Rates](https://money.com/pr/u3e72cf8ee70?ap_referrer=%2Faffordable-college-degree-no-debt%2F) Parents are now more likely to view the value of college through a debt-averse lens. Earlier this year, parents told EAB that the biggest indicator of a valuable education for their kids was them graduating with little to no debt. But when the company asked that same question in 2022, parents were more focused on career prospects and job placement. Graduating with low or no debt came in at No. 3. ## Changing views on college degrees The EAB’s report is the latest in a glut of research that suggests Americans are laser-focused on the staggering cost of college. This summer, a report from a higher education tech company called Ellucian found that about 6 in 10 currently enrolled college students said they were considering [dropping out due to the financial stress](https://money.com/college-students-drop-out-money/) of affording college — and that upwards of 19% actually did drop out. While the price tag for a degree has moderated since the pandemic, college costs overall have skyrocketed over the past 20 years. According to a Money analysis of U.S. Education Department data, the average inflation-adjusted cost of a bachelor’s degree — including tuition, fees, room and board, and assuming a four-year completion — has increased by 30% since the early 2000s. It all now costs over $123,000. For many, the eye-popping cost of attendance has them questioning whether [college is even worth it](https://money.com/is-college-worth-the-money-2024/) these days. Back in May, a Pew Research Center study homed in on that sentiment, asking Americans that very question. Similar to EAB’s findings, how they answered depended a lot on whether student loans were involved. Only 22% of respondents replied that college is worth the cost even with student debt. On the other hand, 47% said that college is worth the money, but only if you don’t need loans. Another 29% told Pew that college is not worth it, period. The reality is that a strong majority of college students take on debt to complete their degree. According to [the Urban Institute](https://collegeaffordability.urban.org/covering-expenses/borrowing/), 70% of graduates with a bachelor’s degree have at least some student debt. More than ever, parents are becoming indebted to help their kids [pay for college](https://money.com/how-to-pay-for-college/), too. Of all full-time students who are considered dependents, 13% of their guardians have taken out federal [Parent PLUS loans](https://money.com/parent-plus-loans-guide/), Urban’s analysis shows, and the typical balance has grown to over $16,000. ## Compare Student Loan companies to find the right fit ### Cover up to 100% of your college costs ![View Rates](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/24903/medium_b6089714-807b-4b5a-88f9-defb35d74711.png) Our Partner [View Rates](https://money.com/go/e78f5e68c52d?bidid=4033664049&pmeta=p129-c550-u24512&ptid=662813550&ptoken=07763a76f2b7a00d3ab7b805cf056efa) ### Apply online in minutes ![View Rates](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/29957/medium_1bf2c50c-d2fe-4492-bad2-f4bca2475954.webp) Our Partner [View Rates](https://money.com/go/d65376cb99ec?bidid=4033664047&pmeta=p129-c550-u24512&ptid=662813550&ptoken=7153eb24eedb50ca59962880344b887b) ### No fees ![View Rates](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/38573/medium_5a7ddb75-a315-44cf-8526-1594057ec7d6.webp) Our Partner [View Rates](https://money.com/go/f2199ca79e16?bidid=4033664051&pmeta=p129-c550-u24512&ptid=662813550&ptoken=3a1c107664c95bef5ca0722a55f950db) ### Provides customized private loan options for students ![View Rates](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/38575/medium_3b0e137f-8ec1-4f32-a340-85efa53e0aab.webp) Our Partner [View Rates](https://money.com/go/deebbbbac707?bidid=4033664050&pmeta=p129-c550-u24512&ptid=662813550&ptoken=6588c70d8059d094b6dcbe3e9488b89d) ### Rates starting at 2.99% ![View Rates](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/38576/medium_d3a42618-1276-44ce-95cf-561a8f89efa8.webp) Our Partner [View Rates](https://money.com/go/12b02f550a62?bidid=4033664052&pmeta=p129-c550-u24512&ptid=662813550&ptoken=b45d9d24ad03de42104d73d57557f490) ![](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/24903/medium_b6089714-807b-4b5a-88f9-defb35d74711.png) Reach new academic heights with College Ave [View Rates](https://money.com/pr/y61180a308af?ap_referrer=%2Faffordable-college-degree-no-debt%2F) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/affordable-college-degree-no-debt/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Education", "item": "https://money.com/education/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Student Financial Aid", "item": "https://money.com/student-financial-aid/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "An 'Affordable' College Degree Now Means Not Going Into Debt, According to Parents" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/affordable-college-degree-no-debt/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/affordable-college-degree-no-debt/", "name": "An 'Affordable' College Degree Now Means Not Going Into Debt, According to Parents", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2024-08-23T19:16:29.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/affordable-college-degree-no-debt/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/affordable-college-degree-no-debt/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2024-08-23T19:16:29.000Z" }, { "@type": "NewsArticle", "headline": "An 'Affordable' College Degree Now Means Not Going Into Debt, According to Parents", "articleSection": "Education", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2024/08/College-Affordable-College-Degrees.jpg", "width": 2471, "height": 1637, "caption": "College-Affordable-College-Degrees" } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam Hardy", "url": "https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/adam-hardy/#author", "description": "Adam Hardy has eight years of experience in personal finance journalism. At Money, he’s written extensively about student loans, including guides, explainers and breaking news. MuckRack named Adam one of the top 10 journalists covering student loans in the nation.", "image": "https://img.money.com/2022/01/a_adam-hardy.jpg?quality=85&w=400&h=440&crop=1", "email": "adam.hardy@money.com", "jobTitle": "Lead Data Reporter", "alumniOf": "University of South Florida, BA, Magazine Journalism", "subjectOf": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/", "name": "The Penny Hoarder" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.forbes.com/advisor/", "name": "Forbes Advisor" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://creativeloafing.com/", "name": "Creative Loafing" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/opinion/biden-trump-harris-2024.html", "name": "The New York Times" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/12/26/flexible-spending-account-is-flawed-benefit/", "name": "The Washington Post" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-09-20/-100-000-h-1b-visa-fee-is-a-gamble-that-could-protect-us-jobs", "name": "Bloomberg" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2024/02/08/whoop-and-the-irs-how-tax-avoidance-helps-health/", "name": "Harvard Law School" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b#footnote-33-p60883", "name": "The Federal Register" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.nclc.org/resources/what-states-can-do-to-stop-credit-reporting-abuses/", "name": "National Consumer Law Center" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/open-enrollment-irs-changes-fsa-hsa-flexible-spending-account-health-savings-account-2023/", "name": "CBS News" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/rankings-and-ratings/20-top-us-hospitals-for-2025-per-money/", "name": "Becker's Hospital Review" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/using-chatgpt-ai-write-cover-letters-job-applications-2023-2", "name": "Business Insider" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/a-major-strike-of-beef-workers-pauses-in-colorado-but-workers-say-the-fight-isnt-over/", "name": "Mother Jones" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://theweek.com/business/economy/job-market-frozen-thawing", "name": "The Week" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://fortune.com/2023/12/20/workers-lose-money-on-unused-fsa-accounts-deadlines-what-companies-should-do/", "name": "Fortune" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/liberation-day-tariffs-economy-stock-market-trump-20250401.html", "name": "The Philadelphia Inquirer" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.nasfaa.org/news-item/37955/Student_Loan_Changes_2026_New_Repayment_Options_Taxable_Forgiveness_and_More_on_the_Way", "name": "National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NAFSAA)" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://eab.com/resources/blog/adult-education-blog/graduate-funding-shift-pricing-aid-strategies-aligned/", "name": "Education Advisory Board (EAB)" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://ticas.org/california/state-private-loans-protections-blog/", "name": "The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS)" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://thismorningwithgordondeal.com/b/This-Morning-with-Gordon-Deal-August-04,-2026/421564107823081285.html", "name": "This Morning with Gordon Deal" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.empower.com/the-currency/life/pumpkin-spice-season-spending", "name": "Empower" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/Economics/comments/1va10oa/comment/p0i9bju/", "name": "Reddit" } ], "sameAs": [ "https://www.x.com/hardyjournalism", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/hardyjournalism/" ], "worksFor": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } } ], "publisher": "https://money.com/#organization", "datePublished": "2024-08-23T19:16:29.000Z", "description": "Most parents define an \"affordable\" college degree as one that doesn’t leave their kids with student loan debt, according to a new survey.", "abstract": "Most parents define an \"affordable\" college degree as one that doesn’t leave their kids with student loan debt, according to a new survey.", "@id": "https://money.com/affordable-college-degree-no-debt/", "inLanguage": "en-US", "dateModified": "2024-08-23T19:16:29.000Z", "editor": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Julia Glum", "url": "https://money.com/author/julia-glum/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/julia-glum/#author", "description": "Julia Glum joined Money in 2018 and specializes in covering financial trends that affect everyday Americans' wallets. She also writes Dollar Scholar, a weekly newsletter that teaches young adults how to navigate the messy world of money. ", "image": "https://img.money.com/2021/10/a_julia-glum.jpg?quality=85&w=400&h=440&crop=1", "email": "julia.glum@money.com", "jobTitle": "Managing Editor", "alumniOf": "University of Florida", "subjectOf": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.newsweek.com", "name": "Newsweek" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.ibtimes.com/", "name": "International Business Times" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/home-office-tax-deduction-who-qualifies/", "name": "CBS News" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/story/coupon-queen-woman-tik-tok-share-tips-couponing-66302189", "name": "Good Morning America" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.wusa9.com/video/entertainment/television/programs/great-day-washington/tips-to-being-better-with-money-in-2021/65-a5b83e05-73ba-4d60-b9a8-1d47f9ac6018", "name": "WUSA9" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://pix11.com/news/coronavirus/rebound/making-ends-meet/millenials-taking-biggest-financial-hit-from-pandemic/", "name": "Pix 11" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/10/opinion/active-shooter-drill-schools.html", "name": "The New York Times" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://mashable.com/article/forrest-fenn-treasure-found", "name": "Mashable" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/08/13/theres-an-app-for-that-authorities-say-man-asked-siri-for-help-dumping-body/", "name": "The Washington Post" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/08/treasure-buried-by-forrest-fenn-finally-found-after-10-years.html", "name": "CNBC" }, { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https://www.politico.com/tipsheets/florida-playbook/2017/03/gillum-for-governors-rollout-stumble-florida-woman-gets-trump-shout-out-rubios-tampa-office-problems-218973", "name": "Politico" } ], "sameAs": [ "https://x.com/superjulia", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-glum" ], "worksFor": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } } ], "wordCount": 532, "keywords": [ "News" ], "about": [ { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Education", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education" ] }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Student debt", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_debt" ] }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Student financial aid", "sameAs": [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_financial_aid" ] } ] } ] } ```