Many observers believe there is a student-loan crisis in the United States, which is likely to become more severe. According to the National Association of Realtors, 45 million people across the U.S. are carrying student debt, and an estimated one-fifth of this group are on the hook for more than $100,000 in college loans. What the Realtors find troubling in these statistics, of course, is that this debt is impacting home ownership, as the market research firm Statista noted in a recent post.

The Realtors estimate that 83 percent of people in the 22-35 age bracket who have not purchased a home are citing their student debt as a factor in their decision-making.

The Northeast of the country is the worst affected and according to a CNBC report, 75 percent of New Hampshire's graduates carry outstanding debt, the worst in the country. Among the New Hampshire graduates, the average amount owed is $36,367. Utah has the lowest rate of debt and graduates there owe an average of $20,000, according to the Statista post.

The following infographic shows how third-level education in the U.S. has gone from being a dream to being a "debt sentence" for millions of American students. Federal Reserve data shows that the amount of student loans stood at $480 billion in 2006 and by 2018, the debt mountain had risen to $1.53 trillion. The reasons for the debt are numerous and complex, but are likely to include increases in tuition costs, less students finishing their courses and the lingering impact of the financial crisis.