The statistics show the average US student loan dept is around $35k/borrower. However there are some who go to out of state private colleges which can get expensive. And there are for-profit private colleges that are basically scams and rack up significant debt.
Is that the average amount borrowed or the average amount still owed? If the latter I am not sure how useful it is. It would be more useful to know how much students need to borrow today (or in 4 years time).
In NZ the median student debt at end of study is just $17,000 NZD but that includes people dropping out after one year, non-university diploma courses and students whose parents paid for most of it or students who worked while studying and paid as they went.
* https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/state-of-student...