The Myth of the Student Loan Crisis

In the midst of several long, plain-looking articles in The Atlantic, the info-graphic portraying the panic surrounding college expenses stands out like a sore thumb.  It logically and convincingly disputes the panic sweeping across the nation using powerful statistics and a coherent structure of information.  The info-graphic argues that not going to college is actually much more expensive than taking the risk and investing in yourself.  The magazine draws attention to the info-graphic right away by placing it on a black background with brightly colored graphs, charts, and text boxes.  Then, once the reader sees the chart, a snippet of background information is included to qualify the argument of millions of Americans afraid of the 150% increase in college costs over the past 18 years.  At the end of the introduction (plain white text against the black background, which also influences the reader because this is less "flashy" than the author's argument) is a rhetorical question that serves to progress the information to the author's argument.  The author chooses to present his information in a flow chart so that his logical reasoning is shown.  He starts out showing how costs are actually lower than expected, using the slightly sarcastic statement, "One year at Harvard costs $57,950.  But most students don't go to Harvard."  A graph is used to portray the distribution of debt students are in after exiting college.  This further portrays how it is rare for students to be drowned in debt, and encourages the reader to reconsider their view towards college expenses.  After the author shows the relatively low cost of schooling, he then progresses his argument to show the return on investment that a college degree has.  By using graphs to portray the information, the author is able to effectively convince the reader that college is a beneficial endeavor.