I think you've definitely hit on part of it. People want to pay off those loans. That said, a high-paying job can pay off your average student loan (~$31000) i

I think you've definitely hit on part of it. People want to pay off those loans. That said, a high-paying job can pay off your average student loan (~$31000) in 5-7 years without too much grief. What comes next tends to be that people find they like the lifestyle enabled by a low risk high income.