The Value of Higher Education

Multiple studies show that the benefits of a university degree outweigh the costs.

College graduates earn a substantial wage premium in the labor market compared to those with only a high school diploma … with the annual college wage premium at more than $30,000. Over an entire working life of more than forty years, such a premium adds up to a benefit well in excess of the costs.

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Bachelor's degree holders earn a median $32,112 more annually than high school graduates — roughly $625,000 in additional lifetime earnings.

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California workers with a bachelor’s degree earned, on average, 61% more than high school graduates, while those with graduate degrees earned 89% more than high school graduates.

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Students Celebrating at Commencement

 

College graduates are more likely to:

  • Have jobs that offer paid vacation, health insurance and retirement
  • Own a home
  • Be protected during economic downturns

College graduates are less likely to:

  • Be in poverty
  • Need social services 

64% of CSU students who earned a bachelor’s degree in 2023-24 graduated with zero student loan debt.

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