The Value of the College Degree

It has long been said that higher education is the route to professional success and financial stability. Graduates are believed to excel in their careers and earn far more than their high school educated counterparts. There is no doubt that college graduates fare better than high school graduates, even in economic downturns. The question is how much better the college graduates fare than the high school graduate.

Experts once said that the college graduate, on average, earns $800,000 more in a lifetime than the high school graduate earns. However, this number has been disputed and experts say the figure is much closer to $450,000. As tuition continues to soar, the income gap between college graduates and high school graduates shrinks. The trade-off between four years of education and an early start in the workforce isn’t as stark as it used to be.

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