The cost of college has apparently increased over the years. Even though a college education can be directly correlated to an individual's earnings and wealth over time, many still choose not to attend it. There are several reasons that are believed to be directly related to students' failure to complete their degree. Some of these reasons include the desire to avoid the debt burden caused by student loans, socioeconomic status, lack of family support or lack of motivation, etc. In this paper, college costs will be examined as a perceived barrier to degree completion. Rising college costs are hypothesized to discourage students from earning a college degree after high school. The following ten literature reviews will seek to understand the financial factors that contribute to early student dropout, as well as investigate possible covariates (such as psychological and social factors) that may influence retention and early dropout rates. College Costs and Perceived Barriers to Earning Degree Completion In today's challenging financial market, a college education has been increasingly important to broaden possible job opportunities. Many of those without a college degree face very limited job prospects. Many students inevitably delay completing their degree because the fiscal costs of college exceed their financial capabilities at the time. Many college students experience financial burdens that last for some period of time, even after completing their degree, and worse, many times over. The financial stress of college costs is a factor preventing degree completion. Robb, Moody, and Abdel-Ghany (2011) examined what impacts “rising student loan debt, in comb… middle of paper… social inequality has always been a major factor in every sector of American society. Many wonder whether different races, particularly African Americans and white Americans, make different educational choices or view college as more or less favorable as a basis of affordability. St. John, Paulsen, and Carter (2005) attempt to address this issue and demonstrate that college is accessible to all ethnicities, and propose that the only factor that creates a barrier is a lack of information regarding financing options . There are many variant financial and non-financial logistical hypotheses as to why many who begin college at a four-year or two-year college consequently fail to obtain their degree. Numerous researchers have conducted studies in hopes of understanding student persistence toward graduation and the many factors that influence intentional or unavoidable withdrawal from college.