17% of college grads owe more than $45,000 in loans

As graduation season comes to a close, many recent graduates have or are securing their first job out of college, settling into a new apartment or home, and beginning a new chapter filled with independence and excitement.

But credit bureau TransUnion says now is the time for graduates to evaluate their current financial situation, recognize what debts they now need to start paying back and understand what factors can help or hurt their chances at credit applications. College debt can be one of the most challenging types of debt because repayment can be delayed until after graduation, TransUnion said.

About 1 in 4, or 25.1 percent, of consumers who graduated from college in the past five years currently have $30,001 to $45,000 in college debt, and an additional 17.2 percent have more than $45,000 in student debt, according to a recent Google consumer survey commissioned by TransUnion.