I would add on to Jay’s #1 with this:

Nevermind the average salary for your major, but rather think about what you actually want to do for work (this can be *really* hard to conceive of before college, but you probably have an idea), figure out what *that* pays, and whether your planned major does anything to make you employable in that job/field.

I say this because the academic-major-based salary figures are often really goofy — for example, astrophysics PhDs have a *really high* average in NYC, but that’s not because being the next Neil Tyson pays so well — it’s bc they’re all Wall St/Hedge Fund quants.

BUT, that said: If you’re a ‘normal’ frosh, you don’t really have any clue. That’s ok! But it does make it really hard to ‘properly’ assess if you’re taking out too much loan $$. If you do really well, majoring in whatever, you will have options — but if at graduation, what your real career passion is is social work, or freelance internet journalism, or catz videoz, then almost any amount of loans is probably “too much” in some sense, but if what you want to do is work for McKinsey, then almost any amount of loans is probably ok.

And, all of that ignores the intrinsic, intangible value of education itself — there is value *in the experience itself* apart from any improved career prospects, not that that helps pay the rent in year 8 of your 30 year Income-Contingent repayment plan.

TL; DR: Is the amount in loans I’m about to take on going to be worth it in the end?

MAYBE, BUT YOU PROBABLY WON’T KNOW UNTIL THE END.

What is a good amount to have to take out anyways?

IT DEPENDS.