The College Payoff: Education, Occupations, Lifetime Earnings

In this report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, the authors examine exactly 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.