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According to the US Census Bureau, 1% of college graduates participated in social support programs like Medicaid, National School Lunch Program, and food stamps compared to 8% of high school graduates in 2008.

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In 2005, married couples with bachelor's degrees were least likely to be below the poverty line (1.8%) compared to 2.7% of associate's degree holders, 4.6% of couples with some college, and 7.1% of high school graduates.

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The 2008 poverty rate for bachelor's degree holders was 4%, compared to a 12% poverty rate for high school graduates.

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83% of college graduates reported being in excellent health, while 73% of high school graduates reported the same.

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Students ranked "interpersonal skills" as the most important skill used in their daily lives in a 1994 survey of 11,000 college students.

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Students have the opportunity to interact with other students and faculty, to join student organizations and clubs, and to take part in discussions and debates. According to Arthur Chickering's "Seven Vectors" student development theory, "developing mature interpersonal relationships" is one of the seven stages students progress through as they attend college.

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College graduates are more likely to receive on-the-job formal (22.9%) or informal (17.2%) training, more access to technology, greater autonomy, and ability to enhance skills compared to high school graduates.

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Vivek Wadhwa, MBA, technology entrepreneur and scholar, states, "American children party [in college]. But you know something, by partying, they learn social skills. They learn how to interact with each other…They develop skills which make them innovative. Americans are the most innovative people in the world because of the education system."

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70% of college graduates had access to employer-provided health insurance compared to 50% of high school graduates in 2008. 70% of college graduates 25 years old and older had access to retirement plans in 2008 compared to 65% of associate's degree holders, 55% of high school graduates, and 30% of people who did not complete high school.

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58% of college graduates and people with some college or associate's degrees reported being "very satisfied" with their jobs compared to 50% of high school graduates and 40% of people without a high school diploma.

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In 2015, 6.2% of college graduates were underemployed (insufficient work), compared to 12.9% of high school-only graduates and 18.7% of people without a high school diploma.

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85.2% of college freshman in 2015 said they attended college to "be able to get a better job." In Apr. 2013, the unemployment rate for college graduates aged 25 and over with a bachelor's degree was 3.6%, compared to 5.0% for associate's degree holders, 7.5% for high school graduates, and 11.4% for high school drop-outs.

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Based on economy and job projections calculated by Georgetown University, in 2018, approximately 63% of jobs will require some college education or a degree.

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During the recession between Dec. 2007 and Jan. 2010, jobs requiring college degrees grew by 187,000, while jobs requiring some college or an associate's degree fell by 1.75 million and jobs requiring a high school degree or less fell by 5.6 million.

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According to a June 2016 study, 99% of job growth (or 11.5 million of 11.6 million jobs) between 2010 and 2016 went to workers with associate's degrees, bachelor's degrees or graduate degrees.

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Only 34% of American jobs require a high school diploma or less in 2017, compared to 72% in the 1970s.

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85% of Forbes' 2012 America's 400 Richest People list were college grads.

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The median increase in earnings for completing the freshman year of college was 11% and the senior year was 16% in 2007.

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The median income for families headed by a bachelor's degree holder was $100,096 in 2011—more than double than that for a family headed by a high school graduate.

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In 2016, the average income for people 25 years old and older with a high school diploma was $35,615, while the income for those with a bachelor's degree was $65,482, and $92,525 for those with advanced degrees.

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The American debate over whether a college education is worth it began when the colonists arrived from Europe and founded "New College" (later renamed Harvard University) in 1636. With 20.2 million US college students in 2015 and average student debt at over $28,950, the debate continues today.

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http://college-education.procon.org/