The average amount of student debt is expected to double next year, a new survey predicts.
According to the annual Push National Student Debt Survey, students starting university in England next year can expect to owe £53,000 by the time they graduate.
The survey, which questioned 2,800 students, found that annual student debts have increased by an average of 6.4 per cent within the last 12 months to £5,680.
In England, the average student debt is £5,876, in Wales the figures stands at £6,231, Northern Ireland £4,319 and in Scotland £2,025.
Johnny Rich, editor of Push, said: "For students this year and in the future it has never been more important to understand the differences between universities. It's not just the debts that vary widely, – the whole experience [varies] too."
Liam Burns, president of the National Union of Students, added that forcing young people to be reliant on commercial debt is "scandalous".
