1 Graduate students will be faced with an even greater amount of student debt. 2  On average, students earning a graduate degree will leave school with an average of $43,500 in accumulated college loans.3  Again, this amount will be significantly greater for students graduating from a private for-profit university. The current average student loan debt for graduates from a four year college or university stands at $26,600. 2  That figure can rise significantly for students attending a private, for-profit college or university.