After a false start as a computer science major and an 18-month break to work, Jeremy Askim — like a lot of college students — hasn’t taken the most direct route to his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Metropolitan State College of Denver.And like most Colorado college graduates, he’ll take more than his diploma with him when he finishes in May. He’ll carry close to $30,000 in student-loan debt — a notch above both the national and state averages.”Sure, I worry about it,” said Askim, 29, while taking a break between classes on the Auraria campus. “I need to finish up and get a better job. I toyed with getting a master’s degree, but I really don’t want to go any further in education until I pay off some debt.”From community colleges to four-year institutions, many Colorado students have left school lugging a heavier financial burden than they did five years ago. About two-thirds of them graduated with student- loan debt, with the average 2011 bachelor’s degree recipient owing $23,662, according to the Colorado Department of Higher Education.A nationwide snapshot by the nonprofit Project on Student Debt found that for the class of 2010, those who graduated with debt owed an average of $25,250. The study ranked Colorado 32nd nationally, with an average of $22,017, well below New Hampshire’s high of $31,048.Read full story

Student Jeremy Askim catches up on some reading between classes Tuesday on the Auraria campus. He will graduate from Metro State in May with about $30,000 in student loans. He tries to live frugally to limit his expenses in anticipation of a significant monthly loan payment. He lives with his grandmother in Aurora and works part time. Despite his student-loan debt, Askim still thinks getting a degree is worth it. Photo by JOHN LEYBA, THE DENVER POST