COLLEGE DEGREE

College grads have four concerns.

Let’s take a look.

The Disappearing College Premium

Wages

A college degree used to be a ticket to higher earnings. Now, we have a stagnating gap between college and high school earnings:

Student Debt

Currently at for $39,457 for recent graduates, the average student debt load has continued to rise. Taking the next step, we can judge that $39,457. The student debt to income ratio averages 58% with the average starting salary for bachelor degree holders at $56,305.

Employment

Meanwhile, the job guarantees that accompanied a college diploma are also shrinking. With the unemployment rate of recent college graduates exceeding the overall rate, there are fewer opportunities for the professional business service positions that include lawyers, accountants, consultants.

student debt

roi for college

employment rates

earnings college wage premium had been growing since 1980s-2010 but now stagnating (caused by tech fpor wages look at supply and demand on supply side, more college grads perhaps pushing wags down but especially women college grades

pace of increasing demand down

Our Bottom Line: Human Capital

My sources and more: Thanks to the NY Times for inspiring today’s post. From there, for wage data, this San Francisco Fed paper came in handy as did