The unemployment rate among people who have a bachelor’s degree is less than half of the unemployment rate for those with only a high school diploma.
4.1 % bachelor’s degree or higher
6.5% some college or an associate degree
8.7% high school graduates, no college
12.7% Less than a high school diploma
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012
During their lifetime, people with a bachelor’s degree earn nearly twice as much as people with only a high school diploma. Median lifetime earnings by highest education attainment at the time of the last U.S. Census (2009):
