How Much More Do College Graduates Earn Than High School Graduates?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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At the median, career earnings for a bachelor's degree graduate are more than twice as high as for someone with only a high school diploma or GED, roughly

70 percent higher than

for someone with some college but no degree, and more than 45 percent higher than for someone with an associate degree.

How much more money do college graduates make than high school?

On an annual basis, bachelor's degree holders earn

about $32,000 more than

those whose highest degree is a high school diploma. The earnings gap between and those with less education continues to widen.

How much more does a college graduate earn over their lifetime compared to a high school graduate?

Men with bachelor's degrees earn approximately $900,000 more in median lifetime earnings than high school graduates. Women with bachelor's degrees earn $630,000 more. Men

with graduate degrees earn $1.5 million more in median lifetime

earnings than high school graduates.

Does higher education lead to higher income?

As the chart shows, the more you learn, the

more

you earn. Median weekly earnings in 2017 for those with the highest levels of educational attainment—doctoral and professional degrees—were more than triple those with the lowest level, less than a high school diploma.

How much more on average do college graduates make?

Sixty percent of bachelor's degrees in the United States are awarded by public institutions. College-educated workers enjoy a substantial earnings premium. On an annual basis, bachelor's degree holders earn

about $32,000 more than those whose

highest degree is a high school diploma.

What are the average lifetime earnings of a high school graduate?

On average: t A high school dropout can expect to earn $973,000 over a lifetime. t Someone with a high school diploma can expect to earn

$1.3 million over

a lifetime. t A worker with some college but no degree earns $1.5 million over a lifetime.

Do university graduates earn more money?

At the median, career earnings for a bachelor's degree graduate are

more than twice as high

as for someone with only a high school diploma or GED, roughly 70 percent higher than for someone with some college but no degree, and more than 45 percent higher than for someone with an associate degree.

What is a good salary after college?

About 17% of students expect to earn

more than $85,000 per year

from their first job after graduation, according to a recent survey by AIG Retirement Services and EVERFI of over 20,000 college students nationwide. The $85,000 starting salary was the most common response from students.

Are you more likely to get a job with a degree?


College graduates see 57 percent more job opportunities than non-graduates

, and it is estimated that, by 2020, two-thirds of all jobs will require postsecondary education. A degree enables you to qualify for these additional opportunities and offers you more flexibility in where you choose to work.

What is a sticker price for higher education?


The total yearly cost of a college education

is called its sticker price. This price includes the total cost of yearly tuition, books, room and board, and any fees the campus might charge like a parking permit or library card fee.

Is 50k a year good out of college?

LendEdu analyzed a College Pulse survey of 7,000 college students from nearly 1,000 colleges and universities and found that students, on average, expect to earn $60,000 in their first job out of college.

Most will earn closer to $50,000

.

Is 70k a good starting salary?

That equates to an annual median salary of $45,812. A median salary is the midpoint in a list of salaries, where half earn more and half earn less. … An income of $70,000 surpasses both the median incomes for individuals and for households. By that standard,

$70,000 is a good salary

.

Is 50k a good entry level salary?

“As such, a $50,000 salary would be

above the national median

and a pretty good salary, of course, dependent on where one lives.” That's good news for people making an annual salary of $50,000 or higher.

Which degree has the highest lifetime earnings?

Majors that emphasize quantitative skills tend to have graduates with the highest lifetime earnings. The highest-earning majors are those in

engineering fields, computer science, operations and logistics, physics, economics, and finance

.

Is education a good investment?

For the average person,

college is still overwhelmingly a good decision

. But like any investment, there are risks. The potential negative consequences are greater now than they were for previous generations. Not only are you taking time out from the labor market, but you're paying more to attend college.

Is college worth going?

It is generally known and accepted that going

to university opens the door to better careers

, especially in terms of salary. Let's take the United States as an example. Over their careers, Americans with a college degree earn around 570,000 USD more than people who only have a high school diploma.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.