How long will a College Degree be worth it? Until 2086 New Research Says

A new report from Hamilton Place Strategies claims that a four year college degree will be worth the money it takes to attain one until the year 2086. The report predicts that by the year 2086, tuition will cost approximately $725,000 in today’s dollars, or, if divided by the usual 4 years it takes to earn a bachelor’s degree, $181,000 a year.

Findings

To predict the future cost of college, the report used data collected from the National Center for Education Statistics over the past 40 years. The cost includes average tuition, fees and room and board. The cost of a college education reached the

current lifetime benefit of a bachelor’s degree at $725,000 in the year 2086. The findings also suggested that an associate’s degree will be the more attractive option by the year 2065.

The report goes on to state, “The considerable time between now and when a college degree is no longer profitable speaks to how valuable higher education is in today’s economy. College remains one of the best investments there is.”

Lifetime Benefits

One of the largest factors in lifetime earnings can be the major and industry which you chose to enter. Those who work in management, mathematics, engineering, and technology will earn more on average than those working in education, sales, and public services.  Regardless of industry, those with bachelor’s degrees earn much more than those with just a high school diploma or some college.