PITTSBURGH — A college degree is as valuable as it ever has been, and perhaps never more expensive. Taking out loans and taking on debt has become a necessity for many students, but that debt can be a massive burden in their early careers.
PHOTOS: Local colleges with the most and least student debt
Lend EDU, an online marketplace for comparing student loans, recently published a study of average student loan debt, breaking it down by schools and states. The results are sobering, especially for local students: with an average student debt per borrower of $36,193, Pennsylvania has the highest average of any state in the country (and the District of Columbia).