What's rising faster than health care? College costs

Re:What's rising faster than health care? College costs by Homunculiheaded on Tuesday August 16, 2011 @02:41PM (#2892364)

Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2010 data[1] the average college graduate has nearly double the weekly wages of someone with only a hs diploma ($1038 vs $626/week) and is nearly half as likely to be unemployed (5.4% vs 9.2%)

So I think it's a bit unfair to say that this is merely a 'cultural belief'. Do you have any data to support that dramatically improved salary and employment rate is just a myth?

I do agree with the points on students loans, but I just hear way too often how "college isn't worth it" without any data to back this up what-so-ever

[1] http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:What's rising faster than health care? College costs by ellyagg on Tuesday August 16, 2011 @02:55PM (#2892416)

I can assure you there are correlation/causation issues with those stats. I come from a demographic and gene pool of people likely to hold degrees--aside from me everyone in my 6 person family has at least a bachelors and my girlfriend has a masters. However, despite no degree, I had no trouble obtaining a lucrative career as a developer.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:What's rising faster than health care? College costs by curt on Tuesday August 16, 2011 @02:48PM (#2892383)

You have no control group so the $1038 vs $626 or unemployment numbers are meaningless. The top would natural succeed even without going to college, you can't tell how much value it actually adds.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:What's rising faster than health care? College costs by bluehavana on Tuesday August 16, 2011 @05:02PM (#2892882)

I'd be way more interested in those statistics over time? A degree has mostly always meant more money/better job eligibility, but is that now a smaller gap compared to years past.

[ Parent | on HN ]