That graph is a bit of a lie. Student debt is summed over all students, so it grows if the student population grows (which it has; 2013 saw a decline, but that will not factor much in this data yet). It also integrates over many years. That makes the total debt look more threatening.
It would be more reasonable to show a per-year, per student debt (people graduating in year X had an average debt of $Y; people leaving without graduating had an average debt of $Z)
Such a graph probably still looks bad (median income has dropped, after all), but it will be more informative.
It would be more reasonable to show a per-year, per student debt (people graduating in year X had an average debt of $Y; people leaving without graduating had an average debt of $Z)
Such a graph probably still looks bad (median income has dropped, after all), but it will be more informative.