Debt during college is brutal, especially if it’s high-interest debt. Credit card balances and high-rate personal loans don’t sit still — they compound, quietly snowballing while you’re focused on exams and deadlines. High-interest debt generally means anything above 10 percent — but credit cards routinely charge far more than that baseline. Say you’ve got a credit card at 22 percent and a student loan sitting at 5 percent. ConclusionKnocking out high-interest debt in college isn’t one big move.