New Study Says a College Degree is Worth the Effort

NEW YORK (AP) — Some comforting news for recent college graduates facing a tough job market and years of student loan payments: That college degree is still worth it.

A new report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York says that people with bachelor's or associate's degrees earn more money over their lifetime than those who skip college, even after factoring in the cost of higher education. The study also says that a degree is still a good investment for college grads whose jobs don't require college.

The study says a person with a bachelor's degree can expect to earn about $1.2 million more than someone with just a high school diploma. And someone with an associate's degree will bring in $325,000 more than someone with a high school education.