A new study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce confirms that the value of college degrees to workers’ earning potential is increasing.
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Get Your Report Now!According to a press release about the study, individuals with a bachelor’s degree now make 84 percent more over a lifetime than those with only a high school diploma, up from 75 percent in 1999. Today, bachelor’s degree holders can expect median lifetime earnings approaching $2.3 million. By comparison, workers with just a high school diploma average roughly $1.3 million, which translates into a little more than $15 per hour.
“On average, people with more education and higher attainment make more than people with less education,” said Anthony P. Carnevale, the Center’s director and co-author of the report. “But, major and occupation matter just as much as degree level. For example, 28 percent of people with an Associate’s degree make at least as much as the average Bachelor’s degree holder—mostly due to occupational choice.”
The report comes as some experts are asking if the rising cost of college has created a higher education bubble. But, in addition to creating opportunities for significantly greater individual earning power, increased college attainment is also quickly becoming one of the key drivers for our nation’s economy.
Jamie P. Merisotis, president and chief executive officer of Lumina, “There is a high probability that you’ll be poor without some form of postsecondary education and that makes education one of the most critical factors in our nation’s long-term economic growth plans. A dramatic increase in educational attainment must become a top national priority if we intend to build our labor pool and beat out other countries for the jobs of the future.”
In a separate study, the Center at Georgetown estimated that by 2018, 63 percent of U.S. jobs will require some form of postsecondary education or training. Today, approximately 41 percent of adults have a college degree in America.
“The idea of getting a high school diploma and working your way up from the mail room to the corner office is a relic of an earlier time,” said Carnevale. “A college degree provides greater career mobility opportunities, greater lifetime earning power and a more promising future. That’s the college payoff.”