I don&#x27;t understand how, as a student in a (miraculously) high paying internship for (miraculously) 4+ years straight, you could save up the $30k-$100k needed in the US to pay off a degree after dealing with rent, food, insurance, and other bills for those years. Our dorms at UT Austin were nearly as much as rent nearby, and while rent was barely cheaper if you commute, there&#x27;s the added cost of having to use a car. Regardless of commuter status, you&#x27;ll need a car to get to work in most cities in this country, and if you stay on campus, the parking passes make up for the savings you had living in a dorm. Luckily our yearly tuition was &quot;only&quot; 7-8.5k per year throughout my education -- yes, it increased by 15% through my stay, which nothing compared to the rent increases caused by West Coast migrants driving up prices. Now that I&#x27;m in a &quot;real city&quot;, the cost of tuition every is <i>at least</i> five times the amount I used to pay, and don&#x27;t get me started on the other costs.<p>I was very fortunate in how quickly I was able to pay off my debt, but anyone who graduates without debt in the US today is either getting a lot of outside help or outright lying about how much help they&#x27;re getting.