[tzs]

That $15k in student loan debt is higher than the average loan debt at graduation at many high-priced private universities. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Caltech all average $10k or under, and MIT and Stanford average under $15k.

The averages are the averages of those who borrowed, which for most of those schools is about 50% of the students (about 25% at Princeton), so half the students at these high-priced private schools are graduating without any debt.

These are 2010 numbers. The numbers are probably lower now at some of them. Stanford, for instance, waives tuition completely for students whose families make under $100k.

By all means consider affordability when choosing a school--but don't assume that you can't easily afford a high-priced private university just because the sticker price is in the stratosphere.