With enrollments rising in recent years, more than half of all graduate level students in US institutions take on educational loans. Using data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS), this study examined educational debt for graduate and professional students in 2000 and 2016 and explored whether significant predictors of debt changed over time. Results show that those with undergraduate debt were more likely to take on loans for graduate school and that Black/African American students borrowed significantly more than graduate students in other racial/ethnic groups. Findings also showed that institutional reliance on tuition and being Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino were more significantly associated with borrowing in 2016 than in 2000. Consistent with notions of human capital, graduate level education may offer higher long-term salaries and higher quality of life. However, increasing graduate level debt may curtail other life choices, may discourage students from enrolling and persisting, or may motivate degree earners to pursue different program or career options due to accumulated loans.

近年来，随着入学人数的增加，美国院校中超过一半的研究生都接受了教育贷款。该研究使用了美国国家专上学生资助研究（NPSAS）的数据，研究了2000年和2016年研究生和专业学生的教育债务，并探讨了债务的重要预测指标是否会随时间变化。结果表明，拥有大学债务的人更有可能申请研究生院贷款，而黑人/美国黑人学生的借款比其他种族/族裔学生的借款要多得多。研究结果还显示，与2000年相比，2016年与借贷的关系更加严重，因为机构对学费的依赖以及美国黑人/非裔美国人和西班牙裔/拉丁美洲人与2000年的借贷关系更为密切。研究生水平的教育可能会提供更高的长期薪水和更高的生活质量。但是，增加研究生水平的债务可能会限制其他生活选择，可能会阻止学生入学和坚持生活，或者由于积累的贷款而可能促使学位生选择不同的课程或职业。