The cost of college in the U.S. has almost tripled over the last 40 years, per Bankrate, with the average cost of tuition and fees for public four-year schools totaling just under $11,000 for in-state students and nearly $30,000 for out-of-state students for 2022-2023, according to recent research from College Board.
Meanwhile, U.S. wages have stagnated since the 1970s, with productivity growing more than three times as quickly as earnings, CNBC reported. The average college graduate’s starting salary is about $58,862.
So it’s perhaps not surprising that the majority of Americans (56%) believe earning a four-year college degree isn’t worth it, per a poll from The Wall Street Journal and NORC at the University of Chicago. Naturally, many who opt for higher education might wonder which undergraduate majors and eventual careers will provide the most return on a significant investment.
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