---
title: "About Half Say Paying Back Student Loans Makes It Harder to Make Ends Meet"
description: "Many borrowers say the burden of paying back student loans has made it harder to pay their bills and make ends meet."
date: "2012-06-26"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2012/06/26/about-half-say-paying-back-student-loans-makes-it-harder-to-make-ends-meet/"
categories:
  - "Student Loans"
  - "Student Loans"
---

# About Half Say Paying Back Student Loans Makes It Harder to Make Ends Meet

About half of those who took out college loans and are no longer in school (48%) say that paying back the loan has made it harder to make ends meet; 25% say it has made it harder to buy a home; 24% say it has had an impact on the kind of career they are pursuing; and 7% say it has delayed their getting married or starting a family.

A growing share of undergraduates take out student loans, and a rising share of families have outstanding student loans they are paying back. Outstanding student loan debt is now about 5% of all outstanding debt in the household sector—more than double its share a decade ago.

The cost of a college education—at both public and private institutions—has roughly tripled since 1980 in inflation-adjusted dollars. The typical student who graduates from a four-year college with an outstanding loan starts out with a record balance of $23,000. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2011/05/15/is-college-worth-it/2/#chapter-1-overview)