Some people argue we send too many kids to four-year colleges who would be better off in technical schools or two-year programs.
But there’s good reason. That four-year degree makes a big difference in average earnings.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average weekly pay of a U.S. worker with a bachelor’s degree is now $1,137. That weekly paycheck drops to $798 for workers with an associate’s degree and $738 for those with some college but no degree. And high school grads on average earn $678 a week.
"Too many Americans simply don't qualify for the jobs that pay high wages in a globalized, technologically advanced economy. Consequently, average family incomes continue to cycle down, even as the upper middle class—the top 20 percent or so—gets richer," writes University of Maryland economist Peter Morici.
To read more, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog.
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