Lifetime Value of a Postsecondary Education

The lifetime benefit of a postsecondary degree is significant. Over the course of a lifetime, students who persist in school and complete some college or an Associate's degree can make about $473,000 more than their less educated peers.  Those with bachelor's degrees earn $1.6 million more.

Source: Anthony P. Carnevale,  Nicole Smith, Jeff Strohl. Help Wanted: Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements Through 2018, Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, June 2010.