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I was just browsing through the Times archives when I came upon an article in
which the editor challenged readers to "find definite statistics on how much
money you'll make, depending on what kind of education you had." Having nothing
to do but a Spanish project, an English paper, and a science report, I decided
to check it out. Do all these years of sweating through dull classes, huge loads
of homework, and horrible tests really pay off? Is education worth the work?
I'll give you the facts. You can make the judgment.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, adults age 18 and over who had no high
school diploma made an average of $18,793 in 2001. Diploma holders made $26,795.
Those with bachelor's degrees made $50,623. And people with advance degrees made an
average of $72, 869!
So let's do some number crunching. Graduating high school may raise your salary
by 70%. Four years of college may raise it 270%. And a couple extra years for
your advanced degree may fatten your paycheck by about 390%! Remember,
these are averages, so there are no guarantees, just likelihoods.
Now let's compare four different people. "Todd" says that if he isn't going to
get paid, he's not going to stay in high school. He drops out at the age of 16.
"Mary" quits after receiving her high school diploma at 17, figuring she's
completed the requirements and will save money by not going to college. "John"
attends college, gets his bachelor's at 21, and then gets a job. "Kristy" goes
to a university until she is 23 and gets a master's degree before starting work.
All four people work until they are sixty years old. What will their total
earnings be?
Todd: $826,892
Mary: $1,152,185
John: $1,974,297
Kristy: $2,696, 153
Wow, that is quite a difference. Yes, Kristy and John had to pay extra to go to
college: but they were reimbursed by almost a million dollars or more! I never
realized what a great incentive there is to get a good education! Hmm, maybe I better get started on that English paper???
Frantically trying to think up a feasible theme for "The Birds",
This was JasmineK.
Source: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-51.html.
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