Having a college undergraduate degree increases a person's earning potential compared with not having a college undergraduate degree.
NOT BSTOTAL BS
NOT BS — Verdict: True
Verified by Lenz ·
The Short Version
Across major U.S. datasets, bachelor’s degree holders earn substantially more on average than people without a four-year degree. The earnings premium appears consistently in NCES, Labor Department, and Federal Reserve data and remains sizable despite some recent narrowing. The main caveat is that this is an average population pattern, not a guarantee for every individual or field of study.
Caveats
This describes average earnings patterns, not a guarantee that every graduate will out-earn every non-graduate.
The size of the earnings premium varies materially by major, occupation, demographics, and institution type, and it has narrowed somewhat in recent years.
Higher gross earnings do not automatically mean higher net financial benefit once tuition, debt, and forgone earnings are considered.