The True ROI of a Bachelors degree

THE TRUE ROI OF A BACHELOR'S DEGREE 2+2 College education has received a bad rap in recent years, as many graduates struggle to find jobs and pay off loan debt. However, research shows that those who enter college prepared to face the challenges can reap many future benefits, including better employment outlook, less risk of disease and greater probability of marital success. HEALTH LIFE EXPECTANCY (CDC 2011) On average, 25-year-olds with a bachelor's degree have a life expectancy almost NINE YEARS LONGER than those without a high school diploma. OBESITY DIABETES An additional four Women age 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher are 14-18% LESS LIKELY TO BE years of education REDUCES THE RISK OF DIABETES BY 1.3 percentage points. OBESE than those with less than a bachelor's degree. (NBER 2006) (CDC 2011) HEART DISEASE SICKNESS An additional four years An additional four years of education REDUCES of education REDUCES THE RISK OF HEART LOST DAYS OF DISEASE BY 2.16 WORK TO SICKNESS percentage points. BY 2.3 each year. (NBER 2006) (NBER 2006) SMOKING As of 2013, 9.1% 41.4% of COLLEGE of GED 22% graduates smoke. graduates of HIGH SCHOOL smoke. graduates smoke. (CDC 2013) In a 2011 study, participants with at least a bachelor's degree had 5% 5% 6% 7% 10% less prevalence of DECREASED less prevalence of CARDIOVASCULAR less prevalence of DIABETES. less prevalence of OBESITY. less prevalence of SMOKING. KIDNEY FUNCTION. DISEASE. 11% 37% 24% lower odds of lower odds of lower MORTALITY developing DECREASED developing CARDIOVASCULAR compared with participants with only a high school diploma. KIDNEY FUNCTION. DISEASE. CRIME CORRECTIONAL POPULATIONS VIOLENT CRIME (BJS 2003) (Justice Policy) The 10 states with the highest college Vs. (i enrollment rates have a 40% AVERAGE LOWER DIPLOMA 12.7% 48% VIOLENT CRIME RATE of all inmates of the than the national average. have a POST general population. SECONDARY EDUCATION es. 41.3% 18.4% 22.6% 33.2% of the general population. of all inmates of all inmates have SOME of the have a general population. HIGH SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL OR LESS DIPLOMA MARRIAGE (BLS Statistics/NLSY79) MARRYING ONCE STAYING MARRIED Among those with a bachelor's degree who have ever married, Among those with a bachelor's degree who got married between ages 15-46, 75.1% of these marriages are 69% ARE STILL IN ONGOING AFTER 15 YEARS. THEIR FIRST MARRIAGE. Among high school graduates who have ever married, 48.6% ARE STILL IN Among high school graduates who got married between ages 15-46, 58.9% of these marriages are ONGOING AFTER 15 YEARS. THEIR FIRST MARRIAGE. EMPLOYMENT HIGHER SALARY As of 2012, college graduates earn a median annual wage of $67,140. As of 2012, high school graduates earn a median annual wage of $35,170. (BLS 2012). 86% 86% People age 25-32 with a bachelor's degree say college HAS ALREADY PAID OFF OR WILL PAY OFF. of those who borrowed money to pay for college say their degrees ARE WORTH IT. (Pew 2012) LOWER UNEMPLOYMENT LESS POVERTY (BLS 2014) (Pew 2012) lÔ) 3.5% 5.8% As of 2014, people 25+ with a bachelor's degree have an UNEMPLOYMENT RATE As of 2012, only 5.8% of people age 25-32 with a bachelor's degree are LIVING IN POVERTY. OF 3.5%, which is less than the national rate of 5.5%. (Ô) 6.0% 21.8% Those 25+ with only a 21.8% of those age 25-32 with only a high school diploma are LIVING IN POVERTY. HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA HAVE A RATE OF 6.0%. BETTER OUTLOOK (Pew 2012) People age 25-32 with a bachelor's degree are 86% 57% 14% 42% 46% 31% 63% 41% about 3x less likely than their peers with high school diploma a high school diploma diploma to say that to say their work is "JUST A JOB TO GET more likely than their peers with a more likely than those with a high school more likely to say they HAVE THE NECESSARY EDUCATION AND TRAINING to to say THEIR JOB IS A CAREER their EDUCATION HAS BEEN "VERY USEFUL" in preparing or a stepping stone [THEM] BY". advance in their to a career. them for work and a career. careers. COMPETITION LABOR FORCE there are over b 7 MILLION people age 25+ who have earned a bachelor's degree in the U.S. and over 48.8 MILLION OF THEM ARE EMPLOYED in the labor force. As of 2014, (BLS 2014) By contrast, there are over 02 MILIION people age 25+ who have a high school diploma and only 33.8 MILLION ARE EMPLOYED in the labor force. Between 2010 and 2020, '240% of job openings will require at least a bachelor's degree (13 MILLION JOBS). (Georgetown 2010) DEGREE TRENDS The fastest growing occupations require high levels of postsecondary education. (Georgetown 2010) 95% 93% 88% 59% OF STEM OF HEALTH CARE OF COMMUNITY OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS PROFESSIONALS SERVICES SUPPORT growth growth rate growth growth rate rate rate 26% 31% 26% 26% 2010-2020 2010-2020 2010-2020 2010-2020 of people age 25-32 with a college degree in science or engineering say that their 0090 current job is "very closely" related to their college or graduate field of study. (Pew 2012) SOURCES http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus11.pdf http://www.nber.org/papers/w12352.pdf http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/ecp.pdf http://www.justicepolicy.org/images/upload/07-08_rep_educationandpublicsafety_ps-ac.pdf http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2013/article/marriage-and-divorce-patterns-by-gender-race ufonline.ufl.edu UF ONLINE and-educational-attainment.htm http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_education_summary.htm http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/02/11/the-rising-cost-of-not-going-to-college/ http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/resources/data/cigarette-smoking-in-united UNIVERSITY of FLORIDA states.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21601328 https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Recovery2020.ES_Web_pdf http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat07.htm