What Karl Marx Would Say About Your Student Loan Debt
Karl Marx didn’t write about student loans, but his theories on capitalism make him a perfect candidate to weigh in on your financial despair. If Marx saw today’s graduates drowning in debt, he’d likely see it as a symptom of a larger problem: capitalism’s insatiable need to commodify everything—including education.
Marx argued that capitalism prioritizes profit over human well-being, and student loans are Exhibit A. In a system where education is marketed as a ticket to success, young people are encouraged to invest heavily in their futures. But instead of liberation, they graduate into a lifetime of financial servitude. It’s not a “degree,” Marx might say—it’s a chain.
Even the way student debt functions mirrors his critique of exploitation. Lenders profit while borrowers struggle, creating a stark imbalance of power. The system ensures that wealth flows upward, reinforcing the class divide. Marx would likely note that the promise of upward mobility often turns out to be a mirage, with debt replacing the factory floor as the new site of oppression.
Meanwhile, universities act as mini-capitalist enterprises, raising tuition and cutting costs while marketing themselves as bastions of enlightenment. Marx would roll his eyes at the irony of institutions profiting from teaching his theories on inequality.
Yet, student debt is also fueling resistance. Activists and political movements advocating for debt cancellation are essentially engaging in a modern class struggle. Marx would probably support these efforts, though he’d warn that erasing debt alone won’t fix the system.
In the end, Marx’s message would be clear: the problem isn’t just your student loans—it’s the economic system that made them necessary. And while you’re paying off that $50,000 sociology degree, remember this: Marx didn’t predict the interest rate, but he absolutely saw this coming.
