I wrote a post about this chart and information quite awhile ago, but thought it might be useful to share with newer readers.

It’s a summary and chart sharing the income differences among people based on their educational attainment.

Here’s a quote:

“How much is a bachelor’s degree worth? More than $25,000 a year, according to a March 2007 report from the U.S. Census Bureau. Adults aged 18 and older with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $54,689 in 2005, while high school graduates earned $29,448. A two-year associate’s degree brings an average annual premium of $8,500 over a high school diploma.”

I’ve made this chart into a poster which I share with my students each year.

Kathy Schrock also recently shared a link to educational materials the U.S. Census has developed. I wasn’t too impressed by them, but one excellent page they do have is an even better version of that chart, plus a short summary of educational attainment by ethnic group.

Sharing that information, and then having a discussion about it eliciting from students the reasons for the disparities,  would be very useful.