A two- or four-year college degree is becoming more and more important for unlocking the doors to economic and educational opportunity in America today. Getting a college education requires a lot of time, effort and careful planning by parents and students, but it provides knowledge and skills students will use for the rest of their lives to help them succeed in whatever they undertake. By going to college students:
- Get (and keep) a better job. Because the world is changing rapidly, and many jobs rely on new technology, more and more jobs require education beyond high school. With a two- or four-year college education, your child will have more jobs from which to choose.
- Earn more money. On the average, a person who attends college earns more money than a person who does not.
The table below shows the difference in the average earnings of year-round workers based upon their educational level.
|
Average Earnings of Year Round, Full Time Workers by Educational Attainment in 1997 |
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| High School | College | |||||
| Less than 9th grade |
9th-12th grade, no diploma |
High School graduate |
Some college, no degree |
Associate Degree |
Bachelor Degree or more |
|
| Male | $22,746 | $27,638 | $32,611 | $39,367 | $40,465 | $66,393 |
| Female | $14,957 | $18,594 | $22,656 | $26,562 | $29,776 | $41,626 |
|
U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1999 |
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The data below represents the average earning based upon the level of high educational degree.
|
Earnings, by Highest Degree Earned: 1998 |
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| Not
a high school graduate |
High School Graduate |
Some college, no degree |
Associate Arts Degree |
Bachelor's Degree |
Master's Degree |
Profess- ional |
Doctorate | |
| Male | $19,575 | $28,307 | $31,268 | $36,392 | $50,056 | $63,220 | $109,206 | $87,426 |
| Female | $10,725 | $16,906 | $18,104 | $24,009 | $30,119 | $38,337 | $62,113 | $51,189 |
|
U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1999 |
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- Get a good start in life. A college education helps your child acquire a wide range of knowledge in many subjects, as well as advanced knowledge in the specific subjects they are most interested in. College also trains students to express thoughts clearly in speech and in writing, to make informed decisions and to use technology-useful skills on and off the job.
