Why plan past high school

Education after high school pays

At each level of education, typical pay goes up and unemployment goes down. A bachelor's degree is worth about $1.2 million more over a career than a high school diploma, on average.

Median weekly earnings of full-time workers. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

It's about health, not just money

In 2021, American adults with a four-year degree could expect to live 8.5 years longer than adults without one, and the gap has grown since 2010. Researchers see a strong link, though a degree alone doesn't explain all of it: steadier work, health insurance and the kinds of jobs people hold all play a part.

Finishing matters most

Students who start college and leave without a degree often end up worse off than if they had never enrolled: they have the cost, and sometimes debt, without the higher pay. That's why we help students choose a path they're ready for and likely to finish.

Every path can work

The program and the job matter as much as the number of years. More than 1 in 4 people with a two-year degree earn as much as the typical person with a four-year degree. People who finish a registered apprenticeship average about $80,000 a year when they start, and are paid while they train, so many finish without student-loan debt. And not every program pays off: about 1 in 4 bachelor's programs and 2 in 5 two-year programs leave students no better off financially.