WASHINGTON
(AP) -- If you are a high school student
thinking about college, consider this:
Someone with a bachelor's degree earns
nearly $1 million more over his or her
lifetime than a high school graduate.
A Census Bureau survey released Thursday
shows a college graduate can expect to
earn $2.1 million working full-time between
ages 25 and 64, which demographers call
a typical work-life period.
A master's degree-holder is projected
to earn $2.5 million, while someone with
a professional degree, such as a doctor
or lawyer, could make even more -- $4.4
million.
In contrast, a high school graduate can
expect to make $1.2 million during the
working years, according to the bureau
report that tracked the influence of education
on lifetime earnings.
Not all students look at college as an
investment, "but I'm sure parents
do," said Jacqueline King, policy
analyst with the American Council Education,
a higher education advocacy group. "The
challenge is to convince those high school
students on the margins is that it is
really worth their time to go to college."
Study:
Public Higher Education Embracing Virtual
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Kevin
Malecek, a graduate student in American
politics at American University in Washington,
said most of his classmates find higher
education to be worth the time and financial
commitment.
EXTRA
INFORMATION
How much will you
earn in a lifetime? Take a look at the
estimates according to education levels.
"They go to every single class, and
they are trying to get the most out of
their own dollar," he said.
The survey was conducted between March
1998 and March 2000. All estimates are
based on 1999 salaries and probably will
increase as salaries rise over time, Census
Bureau analyst Jennifer Day said.
The estimates do not account for inflation
or for differences in the earning potential
of various fields of study. For example,
people with computer science degrees tend
to earn more than those with social work
degrees.
"It's pretty integral right now that
you have a bachelor's degree," said
Kaydee Bridges, a senior studying international
relations at Georgetown University. "It
is an investment and it's a lot of money."
