Today’s Fiscally Fit column addresses couples getting married and comingling their assets. It brings up some interesting stats:
The average college graduate carried student-loan debt of $22,000 in 2002, compared with $8,200 a decade ago, says Mr. Viale. That’s a joint $44,000. “For many, it’s the equivalent of their grandparents’ first mortgage,” he says.In addition, more than 80% of American college students leave school carrying more than $2,300 in revolving credit-card debt, according to a 2002 survey by government-sponsored loan provider Nellie Mae.
That last stat’s a bit odd; neither the 80th percentile nor the $2,300 mark seem like natural breakpoints. What’s the median? What fraction of college students leave school carrying more than $2,500 in debt?