Female university graduates have bigger Hecs debts but earning less than men, research reveals

Average student debt balance has risen 10% and taking longer to pay off, affecting major life events such as starting a family

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Female university graduates in Australia are earning less than men while racking up more debt from their degrees, new research reveals.

The Futurity Investment Group's university debt report, which surveyed more than 1,000 Australian graduates, found 70% of males earned more than $60,000, compared with 59% of women. Men were also more likely to be earning more than $100,000 (35% compared with 21% of women).

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