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There’s no question that furthering your education can be an expensive endeavor. Almost a third of all American students take on some level of debt to go to college, according to the Federal Reserve.

But students in some majors can expect to pay a significantly higher price than others.

If your goal is to study law, medicine, or veterinary medicine, for example, and you plan to get a graduate degree, you could end up owing five or six times more than the average person with a bachelor’s degree.

Whether you choose your major out of passion or for the potential paycheck — or both — only time will tell if you’ll get the outcome you’re hoping for. In the meantime, it can be a good idea to look at how much you might have to borrow to finance the course of study you’re considering.

Recommended: How to Pay for College

Student Loan Debt in America

How much do student loan borrowers in the United States owe after college?

According to the Federal Reserve’s most recent numbers, outstanding U.S. student loan debt reached $1.58 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2021. That’s nearly triple what the Fed says Americans owed in 2006.

Most of that debt is carried by millennials and Gen Xers. At the end of 2021, adults 35 to 49 had more than $622 billion in student loan debt, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid office. Younger adults, ages 25 to 34, owed more than $500 billion.

And the United States isn’t the only country with a high amount of student debt. In England, the value of outstanding loans reached £141 billion (approximately $191 billion in U.S. dollars) at the end of March 2021. The government there forecasts the value of outstanding loans will be around £560 billion (approximately $760 billion in U.S. dollars) by the middle of this century.

In Sweden, the Board of Student Finance has been asked to raise interest rates on student loans to help make up for the millions of dollars that are lost each year when borrowers don’t repay what they owe.

Still, while student loan forgiveness and other reforms are often discussed here and abroad, little is happening so far.

Recommended: Average Student Loan Debt: By Career

Average Student Loan Debt

According to Education.org, the average federal student loan debt balance is $37,113. And if you include private loan debt, the average balance may be as high as $40,904.

Of course, the amount you might borrow (or have borrowed) could vary significantly depending on your major and the degree required to pursue your chosen profession.

The average student loan debt for a borrower with a bachelor’s degree, for example, is about $29,000. But if your major moves you on to a graduate degree, the cost can move on as well — to an average of $71,000. And if you’re thinking about a degree in law or medicine, your debt could be in the hundreds of thousands.

According to research from The Brookings Institution published in 2020, while only 25% of borrowers went to graduate school, those students account for about a half of the outstanding education debt in the United States.

That’s partly because graduate students typically spend at least a few more years in school than undergraduates do. And besides their undergraduate and graduate courses, many professionals (doctors, dentists, veterinarians, etc.) also go through a residency or post-doctoral program that adds to the overall cost of their education.

Federal student loan programs also allow graduate students to borrow more money than undergraduates. Though there’s a $31,000 cap on federal loans for undergraduate students who are dependents, graduate students may be eligible to borrow up to the full cost of attendance through the federal Grad Plus program.

Other factors that affect the amount students end up borrowing can include the cost of living in the state or city where the school is located, whether the school is public or private, and whether the student is paying in-state or out-of-state tuition.

Recommended: What is the Average Student Loan Debt?

Student Loan Debt by Major

When you first start thinking about how to choose your college major, it’s likely you base your top choices on the academic subjects you’ve always been good at or things you’re interested in. Maybe you have a passion for a subject you feel destined to pursue.

If you’re a practical person, you also may have considered what career that degree might potentially lead to, and how much you’d earn if it became your profession.

What you may not have thought about — at least not at first — was how much it might cost you to major in one subject vs. another. Or if you might have to get an advanced degree in your major to actually get the job, or paycheck, of your dreams.

Here’s a look at the average student loan debt for some popular degrees:

Law Degree

$165,000 upon graduating

More than 95% take out student loans

Medical Degree

$241,600 upon graduating

76% to 89% take out student loans

Recommended: What is the Average Medical School Debt?

Dental School

$304,824 upon graduating

83% take out student loans

Nursing

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN): $19,928

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN): $23,711

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN): $47,321

More than 70% take out student loans.

Recommended: A Look at the Average Cost of Nursing School 

Business Administration

$66,300 (average for undergraduate and MBA student debt)

51% of MBA graduates take out loans

Architecture

$40,000

(% who borrow not available)

Veterinary Medicine

$188,853

83% take out student loans

Pharmacy

$173,561

85% take out student loans

Education/Teaching

$55,800

45% take out loans

Communication/Journalism

Bachelor’s degree: $24,233

Master’s degree: $58,586

(% with loans not available)

Student Loan Debt by State

If it seems as though your neighbors are carrying higher or lower amounts of debt than the U.S. average of $37,113, it might have something to do with where you live. If you have a high concentration of residents with medical or law school debt in your city or state, for example, the average student debt loan might be higher than it is in other parts of the country. If the amount of debt carried is lower than average, it could be because your state offers its students more financial aid.

Here’s what the average student loan debt by state looks like in the U.S., according to EducationData.org . (These numbers refer to federal student loan debt only.)

State	Avg. Student Debt	Residents w/ Student Debt
Alabama	$37,348	12.3%
Alaska	$34,431	9.1%
Arizona	$35,431	12.1%
Arkansas	$33,525	12.7%
California	$36,937	9.8%
Colorado	$37,120	13.2%
Connecticut	$35,448	13.4%
Delaware	$37,338	12.4%
District of Columbia	$55,077	16.9%
Florida	$38,481	11.8%
Georgia	$41,843	15%
Hawaii	$36,575	8.3%
Idaho	$33,100	11.7%
Illinois	$38,071	12.5%
Indiana	$33,106	13.2%
Iowa	$30,848	13.4%
Kansas	$33,130	12.8%
Kentucky	$33,023	13.1%
Louisiana	$34,683	13.7%
Maine	$33,352	13.4%
Maryland	$43,219	13.3%
Massachusetts	$34,549	12.5%
Michigan	$36,295	13.9%
Minnesota	$33,822	13.6%
Mississippi	$37,080	14.6%
Missouri	$35,706	13.3%
Montana	$33,953	11.4%
Nebraska	$32,138	12.4%
Nevada	$33,863	10.9%
New Hampshire	$34,353	13.5%
New Jersey	$35,730	12.6%
New Mexico	$34,237	10.6%
New York	$38,107	11.9%
North Carolina	$37,861	12.1%
North Dakota	$29,446	10.9%
Ohio	$34,923	15%
Oklahoma	$31,832	12.1%
Oregon	$37,251	12.7%
Pennsylvania	$35,804	13.7%
Puerto Rico	$27,607	9.9%
Rhode Island	$32,212	12.7%
South Carolina	$38,662	13.9%
South Dakota	$31,858	12.7%
Tennessee	$36,549	12.2%
Texas	$33,123	12.1%
Utah	$32,781	9.2%
Vermont	$38,411	11.7%
Virginia	$39,472	12.3%
Washington	$35,521	10.1%
West Virginia	$32,272	12.4%
Wisconsin	$32,272	12.1%
Wyoming	$30,246	9.2%

Federal vs Private Student Loan Debt

As these student loan debt statistics show, the rising cost of attending college can be a heavy financial burden for many Americans. And because there are limits on how much students can borrow in federal loans each year, many turn to private student loans to help cover their education bills.

The national private student loan balance now exceeds $140 billion, according to EducationData.org, which says 88.5% of that balance is in undergraduate loans and 11.5% is in graduate student loans.

Private student loans are a pretty small piece of the overall outstanding student loan debt in the United States — about 8.4%. But the number of students taking out private loans is growing. Student loan borrowers owe 71% more in private student loan debt than they did a decade ago, the Student Borrower Protection Center reports.

Recommended: Private Student Loans vs Federal Student Loans

Explore SoFi’s Private Student Loan Options

Since private student loans are not associated with the federal government, repayment terms and benefits can vary from lender to lender. So if you decide to use private student loans to help pay for your education, you may want to take the time to shop for the most competitive interest rates and other loan benefits, and to be clear on what each lender is offering.

Remember: After you graduate, you’ll have to pay back the money you owe — along with all your other bills. And federal loans offer some important protections that you may not get from a private lender, such as the ability to switch to an income-driven plan if you can’t afford your monthly payments or to defer payments if you lose your job. You may want to exhaust all your federal grant and loan options before you consider using a private student loan.

SoFi has a loan to fit the requirements of just about any major you might choose, whether you’re an undergraduate or graduate student, a law school or MBA student, or if your parent is the one doing the borrowing.

Recommended: A Guide to Private Student Loans

The Takeaway

No matter what your major is, these days, there’s a good chance you may have to take on some debt to get the education you need and want.

And the final bill could be substantial: The average federal loan debt balance is $37,113, but if you choose a major that requires a graduate degree, it could be two or three times that amount … or more.

Most student borrowers use federal loans to help pay for their education. But a combination of federal and private loans may be necessary to cover all your costs. If you find you’re in need of extra funds from a private lender, there are plenty of options out there. However, all private student loans are not the same, so it can be helpful to research the best interest rates and repayment terms for your needs.

Learn more about whether a private student loan with SoFi could be the right financial solution for you.

FAQ

How much student loan debt is there in the United States?

According to the Federal Reserve’s most recent numbers, outstanding U.S. student loan debt reached $1.58 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2021.

What is the average U.S. student loan debt per student?

According to Education.org, the average federal student loan debt balance is $37,113. And if you include private loan debt, the average balance may be as high as $40,904.

Who owns most student debt?

The federal government — or, more specifically, the U.S. Department of Education — owns about 92% of all student loan debt in America.

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Photo credit: iStock/FabrikaCr

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SoFi Private Student Loans
Please borrow responsibly. SoFi Private Student Loans are not a substitute for federal loans, grants, and work-study programs. You should exhaust all your federal student aid options before you consider any private loans, including ours. Read our FAQs. SoFi Private Student Loans are subject to program terms and restrictions, and applicants must meet SoFi’s eligibility and underwriting requirements. See SoFi.com/eligibility-criteria for more information. To view payment examples, click here. SoFi reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at any time. This information is subject to change.

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Exchange-traded funds or ETFs generally fall into two categories: actively managed and passively managed. Actively managed ETFs, a growing category in the ETF market, are overseen by a portfolio manager.

The goal of an active manager is to outperform a certain market index, which they use as a benchmark for their portfolio. By contrast, passive ETFs simply mirror the performance of a particular market index; they don’t aim to outperform it.

There are two types of actively managed ETFs: transparent and non-transparent. Active non-transparent ETFs are a new option that was introduced in 2019; these funds are sometimes called ANTs.

Keep reading to learn more about the distinction among different ETFs, the pros and cons, and whether investing in actively managed ETFs makes sense for you.

How Actively Managed ETFs Work

Actively managed ETFs employ a portfolio manager and typically a team of analysts who do market research and make decisions to buy, hold, or sell the assets held within the fund. Most ETFs are designed to reflect a certain market sector or niche. They typically measure their success by using a known index as their benchmark.

For example, a technology ETF would be invested in tech companies and potentially use the Nasdaq composite index as a benchmark to measure its performance.

Despite the fact that passive (or index) ETFs strategies predominate in the industry — index ETFs represent roughly 98% of the ETF market — active strategies are gaining ground. That said, it has been historically quite difficult for active fund managers to beat their benchmarks.

Actively managed transparent and non-transparent ETFs are similar to traditional (i.e. index) ETFs. You can trade them on stock exchanges throughout the day, and investors can buy and sell in amounts as small as a single share. Broad availability and low investment minimums are an advantage that ANTs (and ETFs more generally) boast over many mutual funds.

Actively managed transparent ETFs

When exchange-traded funds first appeared some 20 years ago, only passive ETFs were allowed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In 2008, though, the SEC introduced a streamlined approval process that allowed for a type of actively managed ETF called transparent ETFs. These funds were required to disclose their holdings on a daily basis, similar to passive ETFs. Investors would then know exactly which securities were being traded within the fund.

Many active fund managers, however, didn’t want to reveal their trading strategies on a daily basis — which is one reason why there have been fewer actively managed ETFs vs. index ETFs to date.

Non-transparent or semi-transparent ETFs

In 2019, another rule change from the SEC permitted an active ETF structure that would be partially instead of fully transparent. Under this new rule, an active ETF manager would be allowed to either reveal the constituents of their portfolio less often (e.g. quarterly, like actively managed mutual funds), or communicate their holdings more obliquely, by using various accounting methods like proxy securities or weightings.

The SEC ruling opened up a new channel for active managers, and since then the number of actively managed ETFs has grown. According to Barron’s, in just the past two years the number of actively managed ETFs has more than doubled. Nearly 60% of the ETFs launched in 2020 and 2021 were actively managed — more than all the actively managed ETFs established in the past decade.

From an investor’s perspective, the most noticeable difference between these two kinds of actively managed ETFs — transparent vs. non-transparent — would be the frequency with which these funds disclose their holdings. Both types of ETFs trade on exchanges at prices that change constantly during trading days; both rely on a team of managers to select and trade securities.

Index ETFs vs Active ETFs

So what is the difference between index ETFs and actively managed ETFs? It’s essentially the same difference that exists between index mutual funds and actively managed mutual funds.

How do index ETFs work?

Index ETFs, also called passive ETFs, track a specific market index. A market index is a compilation of securities that represent a certain sector of the market; indexes (or indices) are frequently used to gauge the health of certain industries, or as broader economic indicators. There are thousands of indexes that represent the equity markets alone, and Well-known indexes include the S&P 500®, an index of 500 of the biggest U.S. companies by market capitalization, as well as the Russell 2000, an index of small- to mid-cap companies, and many more.

Because index ETFs simply track a market sector via its index, there is no need for an active, hands-on manager. As a result the cost of these funds is typically lower than actively managed ETFs, and many active and passive mutual funds as well.

How do actively managed ETFs work?

Actively managed ETFs, often called active ETFs, rely on a portfolio manager and a team of analysts to invest in companies that also reflect a certain market sector. But these funds are not tied to the securities in any given index. The ETF manager invests in their own selection of securities, but often uses an index as a benchmark to gauge the success of their strategies.

Transparent actively managed ETFs must reveal their holdings each day.

Actively managed non-transparent ETFs, or ANTs, aren’t required to disclose their holdings on a daily basis. This protects asset managers’ strategies from potential “front-runners” — traders or portfolio managers that try to anticipate their trades. By and large, the cost of these funds is lower than transparent ETFs, and also lower than actively managed mutual funds.

Mutual Funds vs Actively Managed ETFs

All mutual funds and exchange-traded funds are examples of pooled investment strategies, where the fund bundles together a portfolio of securities to offer investors greater diversification than they could achieve on their own. In addition to the potential benefits of diversification, which may mitigate some risk factors, the pooled fund concept also creates economies of scale which helps fund managers keep transaction costs low.

That said, the structure or wrapper of mutual funds vs. passive and active ETFs, is quite different.

Fund structure

Although a mutual fund invests directly in securities, ETFs do not. With both active and passive ETFs, the fund creates and redeems shares on an in-kind basis. So when investors buy and sell ETF shares, the portfolio manager gives or receives a basket of securities from an authorized participant, or third party, which generates the ETF shares.

By comparison, mutual fund shares are fixed. You can’t create more of them based on demand. But you can with an ETF, thanks to the “in-kind” creation and redemption of shares. This means that ETF fund flows don’t create the same trading costs that might impact long-term investors in a mutual fund. And fund outflows don’t require the portfolio manager to sell appreciated positions, and thus minimize capital gains distributions to shareholders.

Pricing

The price of mutual fund shares is calculated once a day, at the end of the day, and is based on a fund’s net asset value (NAV). Investors who place a trade must wait until the NAV is calculated because most standard open-end mutual funds can only be bought and sold at their NAV.

ETFs, by contrast, are traded like stocks throughout the day. And because of the way ETF shares are created and redeemed, the NAV can vary, creating a wider or tighter bid-ask spread, depending on volume.

Fees

The expense ratio of mutual funds includes management fees, operational expenses, and 12b-1 fees. These 12b-1 fees are a type of marketing and distribution fee that don’t apply to ETFs, which trade on stock exchanges.

Thus the expense ratio for most ETFs, including actively managed ETFs, can be lower than mutual funds.

Pros and Cons of Actively Managed ETFs

As with any investment vehicle, these funds have their pros and cons.

Pros

Potentially for higher returns

One advantage of an actively managed ETF is the potential for gains that could exceed market returns. While very few investment management teams beat the market, those who do tend to produce outsize gains over a short period.

Greater flexibility and liquidity

Active ETFs could also provide greater flexibility amid market turbulence. When world events rattle financial markets, passive investors can’t do much other than go along for the ride.

A fund with active managers might be able to adjust to changing market conditions, however. Portfolio managers could be able to rebalance investments according to current trends, reducing losses, or even profiting from panics and selloffs.

Like passive ETFs, active funds also trade throughout the day (as opposed to some mutual funds who only have their price adjusted once daily), allowing investors the opportunity to do things like short shares of the fund or buy them on margin.

Cons

Higher expense ratios

One disadvantage of investing in an actively managed ETF is the potentially higher expense ratio. Active funds, whether ETFs or mutual funds, tend to have higher expense ratios. The costs associated with paying a professional or entire team of professionals combined with the fees that result from additional buying/selling of investments typically adds up to higher costs over time.

Each purchase or sale might come with a brokerage fee, especially if the securities are foreign-based. These costs exceed those of passive funds, resulting in higher expense ratios.

Performance factors

While active ETFs aim to provide higher returns, most of them don’t. It’s a widely known fact in the investment world that the majority of actively managed funds (as well as most individual investors) do not outperform the market over the long term.

So, while an active ETF may have the potential for greater returns, the risk of lower returns, or even losses, can also be greater. The chances of choosing an active fund that fails to outperform its benchmark are greater than the odds of choosing one that succeeds.

Bid-ask spread

The bid-ask spread of ETFs can vary, and while it’s more beneficial to invest in an ETF with a tighter bid-ask spread, that depends on market factors and the liquidity and trading volume of the fund. To minimize costs, it’s wise for investors to be aware of the bid-ask spread.

Investing in Actively Managed ETFs

Once an investor opens an account at their chosen brokerage, they can begin buying shares or fractional shares of actively managed ETFs.

Historically, brokerages have required investors to buy a minimum of one share of any security, so the minimum investment will most often be the current price of one share of the ETF plus any commissions and fees (many brokerages eliminated fees for buying or selling shares of domestic stocks and ETFs in 2019).

Some brokerages like SoFi Invest® now offer fractional shares, which allow for investors to purchase quantities of stock smaller than one share. This option may appeal to those looking to get started investing with a small amount of money.

It’s important to note that many ETFs pay dividends, which are payouts from the stocks held in the fund. Investors can choose to have their dividends deposited directly into their accounts as cash or automatically reinvested through a dividend reinvestment program (DRIP).

Investors with a long-term plan in mind might do well to take advantage of a DRIP, as it allows for gains to grow exponentially. For those only looking for income, DRIP might defeat the purpose of holding securities that yield dividends, however.

The Takeaway

Like mutual funds, exchange-traded funds or ETFs are considered pooled investments and generally fall into two categories: actively managed and passively managed. Actively managed ETFs, a growing category in the ETF market, are overseen by a portfolio manager. By contrast, passive ETFs simply mirror the performance of a particular market index; they don’t aim to outperform it.

Although actively managed ETFs make up only about 2% of the ETF universe, owing to regulatory changes in recent years this category has been growing. In fact there are now two types of actively managed ETFs: transparent and non-transparent. These funds offer investors the potential upside of active management, with the lower cost, tax-efficiency, and accessibility associated with ETFs. If you’re curious about actively managed ETFs, you can explore these products by opening an account with SoFi Invest®.

Learn more about investing with SoFi.

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Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs): Investors should carefully consider the information contained in the prospectus, which contains the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other relevant information. You may obtain a prospectus from the Fund company’s website or by email customer service at [email protected]. Please read the prospectus carefully prior to investing.
Shares of ETFs must be bought and sold at market price, which can vary significantly from the Fund’s net asset value (NAV). Investment returns are subject to market volatility and shares may be worth more or less their original value when redeemed. The diversification of an ETF will not protect against loss. An ETF may not achieve its stated investment objective. Rebalancing and other activities within the fund may be subject to tax consequences.

Investment Risk: Diversification can help reduce some investment risk. It cannot guarantee profit, or fully protect in a down market.

Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

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If you invest in Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) through SoFi Invest (either by buying them yourself or via investing in SoFi Invest’s automated investments, formerly SoFi Wealth), these funds will have their own management fees. These fees are not paid directly by you, but rather by the fund itself. these fees do reduce the fund’s returns. Check out each fund’s prospectus for details. SoFi Invest does not receive sales commissions, 12b-1 fees, or other fees from ETFs for investing such funds on behalf of advisory clients, though if SoFi Invest creates its own funds, it could earn management fees there.
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