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Then there's income. Real income for bachelor's degree holders peaked in 2000 and is declining. Data here comes from the Census Bureau:

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When I combine the two figures to calculate a simple Real Net Worth value, the situation looks worse still.

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This is admittedly an over-simplified calculation that ignores other non-student loan type debt. But the impact would likely be magnified, with other types of debt being higher today than in previous time periods. This also fails to take into account declining principal (or rising principal, depending on the situation) over time. But again, the point is to identify trends, not calculate exact figures.

At the end of the day, this simple net-worth stat is really what matters. It depicts the purchasing power that Millennials have. It describes our real quality-of-life. So if you really want to know what's up with Millennials, the first step in that process is to look at how our average net-worth is changing, and it's not for the better.

From Extraordinary Conversations - There is going to be a bust up here soon I think - don't you? Looks like Wile Coyote as he runs over the edge of the cliff - he can keep running for a moment but the valley floor awaits.

Universities are going to have to think this through - hoping that they can continue to work as they do is a guarantee for failure. But I have little confidence that many will be able to see what this means. Most like Newspapers will die rather than change.

So who and what will make it?