The most relevant question is "whether the college experience (including life experiences and consequent employment value) is worth the attached price tag?" It's one thing when you are paying $5,000 per semester, but at $40,000 per year for 4 years? Unless those 4 years leads to an positive cash flow of $10,000 per year thereafter to repay this debt, I just don't see the rationality of paying so much for non-incoming producing B.S./B.A. degrees (biology, psychology, sociology, languages, etc.).