The college payoff: Education, occupations, lifetime earn

Abstract

A college degree pays off–but by just how much? In The College Payoff, we examine just what a college degree is worth–and what else besides a degree might influence an individual’s potential earnings. This report examines lifetime earnings for all education levels and earnings by occupation, age, race/ethnicity and gender. The data are clear: a college degree is key to economic opportunity, conferring substantially higher earnings on those with credentials than those without.