Is My Student Loan Debt Affecting Others?

Here is some student loan debt perspective:

The median PA grad has $112k-116k in student loan debt.

The average PT grad has $142k.

The average OT grad has $134-180k (depending on source)

The average MD grad has $227k-234k.

Let's go with the PT average student loan payment is about $1200/month, for 20 years. (The total interest paid actually exceeds the total principal....scary)

Let's say these students DIDN'T just pursue a degree and credentials and went wherever they got in (say, a new program at an expensive private school, that costs 50% more than the neighboring public program), but waited and worked until they got into the public/less-costly program, saving them a total of about 40k-60k in total student loan debt (including undergrad). This would put them at having a range of 82-102k in loan debt; much closer to a MANAGEABLE (not optimal, still) 1:1 loan to income ratio.

The loan payment drops to $686/month; almost in half. This could go towards a house. I could go towards funds to start a family. This could go towards an extra $500k in retirement contributions (9% growth over the same 20 years; even more when getting to full retirement age).

It could also go towards giving to those in need. An example (and I am not an affiliate or advertiser for them): this could buy 5 goats for families in third world countries, through Heifer International. It could buy a cow. It could help pay for clean water in other places where there is no clean water.

The point: when we change the student loan game by changing how families and students view the journey to get to the career they want, and the schools they choose, we change the lives of EVERYONE.