# 43 Million Americans Have Some College But No Degree — Here’s Why They Left

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-college-investor-audio-show-414113/43-million-americans-have-some-college-but-no-degree-here-s-why-they-left.md
Podcast: [The College Investor Audio Show](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-college-investor-audio-show-414113)
Published: 2026-05-10T11:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://thecollegeinvestor.com/79175/43-million-americans-have-some-college-but-no-degree-heres-why-they-left/
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/b9679d24-a4dd-4fe8-aa69-3d31cf765998.mp3
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Duration seconds: 401

## Resource

A new Trellis Strategies survey (PDF File) of 3,182 former students who left college without a credential finds that financial pressure and life circumstances (not academic struggles) are the top reasons they walked away. This matters because students who leave college without a credential are usually the ones that face the most financial difficulty after leaving school. When you drop out of college , you still owe any you student loan debt you've already taken and may face repayment of other aid.

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