Michigan college students are digging into the fall semester, but eventually many will be digging themselves out of a mountain of debt.

A report released Tuesday by the Michigan League for Public Policy shows 62 percent of university students in Michigan are graduating with debt averaging close to $30,000 dollars.

Senior Policy Analyst Peter Ruark says given Michigan's decline in manufacturing, investment in higher education is crucial to ensure the state has an educated workforce for the jobs of the future.

"People could graduate from high school, get a job and get on-the-job training through the years and slowly move up to really good-paying jobs. But now that those kinds of jobs have left people are expected to have a good number of skills even for entry-level jobs."

Ruark also suggests lawmakers restore and increase state budget funding for higher education and promote tuition restraint or reduction requirements.

He notes community colleges in Michigan are doing much better, with the state ranking 34th nationally for highest tuition among community colleges.