College Is Worth the Rising Costs: NY Fed

Despite the rising costs and growing debt burden, a college education is well worth the money, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The typical college graduate earns a premium of well over $30,000 a year compared to the average worker with only a high school degree over his or her working life, according to the report. A college grad will earn $78,000 compared to just $45,000 for the average high school graduate.

But the typical college grad and his family, unlike the high school graduate, has to pay for college, often taking on thousands of dollars’ worth of debt. The average graduate leaves college about $30,000 in debt.

With that in mind, the New York researchers, Jaison Abel and Richard Deitz, weighed the upfront costs of college against a lifetime of benefits, calculating an internal rate of return, but using “back of the envelope” estimates due the complexities involved.