There is a huge economic impact that's not being accounted for here. I could have paid for 2 cars in cash with the amount I've spent repaying my student loans in the last 3 years. I definitely thought I would have started a family by now but it's ridiculously hard to figure out how to pay for daycare and $850+ per month in student loans* plus car payments and a mortgage. Other countries have figured out how to pay for education without requiring people to mortgage the rest of their lives for it.

*for the first 4 years after I graduated my husband and my combined student loan payments were about $1500/month.