The Impact of Student Loan Debt on Civic Engagement
Evidence from the College and Beyond II Dataset
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22046204 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Osasohan Agbonlahor (0000-0002-0667-1994, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 764 |
| Publication date | 2025-06-17 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Education Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-7102 • E-ISSN: 2227-7102 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/educsci15060764 |
| OpenAlex | W4411383950 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 26 |
This study examines the relationship between student loan debt and civic engagement among college graduates, with particular attention to differential effects by field of study. Drawing on data from the College and Beyond II dataset, this research analyzes how varying levels of debt burden impact political and community participation among 1673 graduates, including 1059 liberal arts majors and 614 graduates from professional, STEM, and other fields. Employing OLS regression models with multiple measures of debt burden and distinct dimensions of civic engagement, this study finds that both medium and high levels of student loan debt (USD 201–500 monthly and >USD 500 monthly) are associated with significantly higher political engagement—a pattern that aligns with relative deprivation theory’s proposition that financial strain may motivate political action aimed at systemic change. This relationship is particularly pronounced among liberal arts graduates, who demonstrate stronger positive associations between debt and civic participation than their peers from other fields. Debt-to-income ratio analysis reveals a potential “sweet spot” at 10–15% of income, where debt appears to optimize civic engagement without overwhelming resources. These findings suggest that liberal arts education may fundamentally alter how graduates respond to financial constraints, potentially by providing analytical frameworks for understanding debt as a systemic issue and civic skills that facilitate participation despite economic pressures. The results challenge assumptions about debt’s uniformly negative civic consequences and highlight the importance of educational context in mediating economic effects on democratic participation
Business · Debt · Mathematics education · Political science · Student debt · Student engagement · Student loan · Higher Education Research Studies · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Psychology · Social Capital and Networks · Finance
Paying the Price
Constrained after college
Promoting Participation in a Diverse Democracy
Student–Faculty Interaction in Research Universities
Bowling alone
Relative Deprivation
Student Loans and Homeownership
A New Engagement
Debt and Graduation from American Universities
Student debt and hardship
Student loans and racial disparities in self-reported sleep duration
Debt, Cohabitation, and Marriage in Young Adulthood
Who Studies the Arts and Sciences? Social Background and the Choice and Consequences of Undergraduate Field of Study
Voice and Equality
The Missing Link
Civic Engagement and Education
Sick of our loans
Beyond SES
Civic Engagement Scale
Racial Disparities in Student Debt and the Reproduction of the Fragile Black Middle Class
Resource Mobilization and Social Movements
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |