When Debt Deters: Student Loans as a Predictor of Education-Job Match Among Arts Bachelor’s Graduates

Education-job match is often associated with enhanced well-being and career satisfaction, although existing research suggests that arts college graduates are less likely to experience education-job match than graduates of other disciplines. As research also increasingly suggests that student loan debt may influence college graduates’ access to lower-paying industries and careers, this study uses a cross-sectional dataset from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project to investigate how student loan debt predicts education-job match (entry into an arts position) among arts bachelor’s graduates. Even when controlling for individual and institutional factors, results show that arts bachelor’s graduates with over US$10,000 in undergraduate student loan debt are less likely to enter arts careers than those with no loans. Findings suggest that arts careers may be less accessible for college graduates who are most dependent on student loans, with important implications for diversity and equity within the arts.