As of last year, student loan debt in the U.S. exceeded $1.2 trillion, more than any other type of household debt except home mortgages. Media accounts have described this as the "potential next debt bomb for the U.S." and "the next financial disaster." But is there really a student loan debt crisis? To find out, I spoke with , a fellow in the Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings. She explains how evidence sheds light on the problem, noting that it's difficult to reconcile reports of bad outcomes with what is, in general, a very good investment. Also in this podcast, listen to Senior Fellow  speak about his new book,  (Brookings Institution Press, 2014). Show notes: •  (report by Beth Akers and Matt Chingos)•  (Brown Center Chalkboard)•  (paper by Akers and Chingos)•  (paper by William Gale, Benjamin Harris, Bryant Renaud, and Katherine Rodihan)