The projected retirement age for college graduates is 75, compared to the current average age of 62, according to a NerdWallet study.

Life Expectancy

Life expectancy in the U.S. is currently at 84, which means graduates will only spend nine years in retirement if they follow these patterns. As stated in the study, the major factors for the rising age of retirement are from more student loan debt, increasing rent and the generation’s money management skills.

“There’s more likelihood of some sort of debt being acquired, even if it’s not directly student [loans], if you’re in school you know that’s time … that you’re not getting paid to work,” said Jonathan Calvillo, sociology professor.

Increasing Amount

While college students have always accumulated debt in some amount, the amount per student is increasing because of the growing rate of students completing high school and college, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

After staying in school longer, students will enter the workforce later and need to continue working for an extended period of time to pay off college debt as well as day-to-day necessities. However, with health extending into an individual’s later years, workers are able to continue working to pay for the costs of life.

“I think the fact that people are healthier for a longer range of years provides for more opportunity to work if people want to, at least physically speaking, they are capable of working longer I believe,” Calvillo said.

Attractive Pathway

Working longer is certainly a possibility for students, and one looking like a reality for most, but it does not mean young adults should stop attending college.

“I tend to think though that education is a very attractive pathway, not only because of job training and the job opportunities that come from it, but I think that as we as a society…  become more efficient in terms of our production,” Calvillo said. “We [will] focus more on personal flourishing and improvement of our own personal conditions.”

A Common Desire

The improvement of one’s own personal life is a common desire, but beyond this desire students are just beginning to think about life after college and, much later, retirement.

“I’ve never thought about that before, [but] it makes sense in the sense of … it’s harder to find jobs after you’re graduating now, so it would be like take you longer to retire,” said Taylor Adams, junior Christian ministries major.

Even if students feel unsure about their future, especially all the way to retirement, they remain optimistic about how the retirement age is rising.

Natural Way

“I think people are living longer now, so it’s kind of more natural that people are working longer now,” said Katie Genung, sophomore marketing major. “But it’s also kind of a bummer that we have to work later in life because we maybe have less time to calm down and relax with our families in the way we planned.”