College Degree Worth Extra $23,000 a Year

[JLB]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/10/26/degree.value.ap/index.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- How much is a bachelor's degree worth? About $23,000 a year, the government said in a report released Thursday.

That is the average gap in earnings between adults with bachelor's degrees and those with high school diplomas, according to data from the Census Bureau.

College graduates made an average of $51,554 in 2004, the most recent figures available, compared with $28,645 for adults with a high school diploma. High school dropouts earned an average of $19,169 and those with advanced college degrees made an average of $78,093.

"There appear to be strong incentives to get a college degree, given the gaps that we observe," said Lisa Barrow, senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

[Gibby]

Oddly enough that's about how much debt my undergrad degree has left me in.

[Gibby]

no wait, thats how much two years of my undergrad cost

[Gibby]

no hold on after grants, work study, and scholarship about 17 k, that was about how much debt I incurred.

[Gibby]

Heaven help me when the grad school bill comes in.

[Gibby]

It will make a great Halloween story.

[Gibby]

gibby's college debt.

[JLB]

Thats really not to bad.

[nehemiah]

using "averages" to talk about income is a faulty method.

CNN should be ashamed.

:tuttut:

[JLB]

using "averages" to talk about income is a faulty method.

CNN should be ashamed.

:tuttut:

true not really accurate.

[Flan]

What is the cost of a college education? 25K / year. So it pays for itself in 4-5 years.

[JLB]

What is the cost of a college education? 25K / year. So it pays for itself in 4-5 years.

My last experience my daughter's average year was about 33,000.
It went up a little in the last 2 years but that was about the average.

[Merk]

I'd like to see the numbers on how many college students are doing something related to the degree they got.


I did my first year out but now I don’t.


All my friends minus a few engineers and finance majors are doing jobs that have nothing to do w/ their degree either.

[JLB]

I'd like to see the numbers on how many college students are doing something related to the degree they got.


I did my first year out but now I don’t.


All my friends minus a few engineers and finance majors are doing jobs that have nothing to do w/ their degree either.

Absolutely my daughters degree has nothing to do with her job in P.R. in NYC. But she does get gigs playing the Double Bass Jazz! She's on a waiting list with the Metropolitan Opera House. She'll get the chance but waiting is sometimes the biggest obstacle.

[twosheds]

What is the cost of a college education? 25K / year. So it pays for itself in 4-5 years.

You've got to factor in that people with high school degrees start working earlier. Also you can work during your studies, too.