Eight out of ten full-time university students in the US are balancing work with school to help pay for tuition and other expenses.
The American Council on Education reports that 77 per cent of undergraduates have at least part-time jobs, up from 47 per cent in 1995.
More than 25 per cent now work full time while studying.
The trend follows a five-year, 37 per cent increase in average tuition for public universities, attended by most American students. Many of those students are trying to avoid future debt that averages $18,900 (£11,900) by the time they graduate - up 66 per cent in five years.
The average debt for new doctors is now $103,850, and $84,400 for lawyers.
Some students balance 40 hours a week or more of work with a full schedule of courses. Often they end up taking more than the traditional four years to graduate, increasing the cost of their education further. Research also shows that grades fall when students work more than 15 hours a week.
The average student now works more than twice that much, according to the US Department of Education.