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The long-term value of a college degree

Return to UW-Superior: Finish Your Degree

The long-term value of a college degree

Why a college degree is a smart long-term investment

expected-lifetime-earningsHaving a college degree is one of the best ways to protect you and your family during a major economic downturn like the Great Recession the United States just experienced.

A look at job market and economic data confirms this trend.

According to a study* by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce:

  • Those with high school diplomas lost 5.6 million jobs all together in the recession. Those with bachelor's degrees or more actually gained 187,000 jobs.

  • Since the recovery officially began in 2010, the economy added 2 million jobs for those with at least bachelor's degrees, but lost 230,000 jobs for those with high school diplomas or less.
  • The income gap between those with only a high school education and those with college degrees has been widening for decades, and The Great Recession accelerated that trend.

In a storm, whether economic or real, everyone gets rained on. But some are better protected than others. As this study and others show, a college degree is one of the best umbrellas.

Why not find out the shortest path between you and a college degree?


Email return@uwsuper.edu

*Sources: The College Board, "Education Pays 2010," Georgetown University, "The College Advantage: Weathering the Economic Storm," Anthony P. Carnevale, et. al.

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