Money (and degrees) change everything

If you always wanted to go back to school for that advanced degree, the US Census Bureau today released stats that show why you should get on the ball:  Adults with advanced degrees earn four times more than those with less than a high school diploma.  But just to show you that all the brains in the world can’t prevent a certain amount of stupidity: The District of Columbia – you know where Congress sits — had the highest proportion of people 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher (49 %).The U.S. Census Bureau says  adults 18 and older with a master’s, professional or doctoral degree earned an average of $79,946, while those with less than a highschool diploma earned about $19,915.  The bureau also showed adults with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $54,689 in 2005, while those with a high school diploma earned $29,448.    Other highlights of the bureau’s study: ·          In 2006, 86 % of all adults 25 and older reported they had completed at least high school. More than one-quarter (28 %) of adults 25 and older had attained at least a bachelor’s degree. ·          High school graduation rates for women 25 and older continued to exceed those of men, 86 % and 85 %, respectively. However, a larger proportion of men held a bachelor’s degree or higher (29 %compared with 27 % of women). ·          Non-Hispanic whites had the highest proportion of adults with a high school diploma or higher (91 %), followed by Asians (87 %), blacks (81 %) and Hispanics (59 %). ·          Minnesota and Alaska had the highest proportions of people 25 and older with a high school diploma or higher (around 93 %).         The data are from the 2006 Current Population Survey’s Annual Socialand Economic supplement, which is conducted in February, March and April atabout 100,000 addresses nationwide.