A report published recently by Indiana University’s Center for Postsecondary Research — based on its annual Law School Survey of Student Engagement — details the impact of debt on law students. The reports paints a grim picture that is getting steadily worse: 30% of 2015 survey respondents expect to owe in excess of $120,000, compared to “just” 16% in 2006. The report also suggests that black and Latino students are accruing more debt than their white and Asian peers.
In addition to quantifying debt levels, the survey sought to capture the effect of debt (and other factors) on students’ experience of anxiety and stress. Guess what? Debt is a major source of stress, although it trails academic concerns and job prospects in the ranking of things keeping students up at night. The report segments its stress-related findings by a number of factors, including race. According to this data, the most stressed-out law students are Asian:
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However, as a group, black law students report the most anxiety regarding job prospects:
Source: The Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research
Check out the full LSSSE report here.
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