A degree may still lead to opportunity, but the figures usually given in the headlines refer to experienced workers rather than the salary that a new graduate can expect.
For many generations students have been instructed to see college as an investment: select a degree, take out the money, graduate and then earn a sufficient amount so that the cost becomes worthwhile.
There is evidence to show that education can increase an individual’s earning potential. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ second-quarter 2026 earnings report states that full-time workers who had at least a bachelor’s degree earned a median weekly income of $1,768; those who had only completed high school and had no college education earned $994.
Although that comparison seems convincing, it doesn’t show a high school senior what a particular degree will earn them in their first year after graduating. The category of bachelor’s degrees also covers experienced workers, those who have obtained graduate degrees, and professionals who may have spent many decades rising through the ranks.
A median wage might be statistically accurate even if it leads a student to form the wrong impression.
A Median Wage Is Not a Starting Salary
The median is the middle value in a set of data; half of the workers have higher earnings and half have lower ones. However, it does not necessarily indicate what a recent graduate’s salary will be, nor does it ensure that anyone will secure a job in the field related to their degree.
The issue is better understood when the earnings are divided up by major and by location.
A report by the U.S. Census Bureau on bachelor’s degrees showed significant variations between different fields and among metropolitan areas. In San Francisco, those with business degrees had median annual earnings of about $119,700, whereas in Las Vegas the figure was around $64,910 and in Orlando it was $65,610.
The figures refer to the earnings of people who had degrees, not to the starting salaries that are advertised for new graduates. The numbers were affected by local labour markets, by people’s career experience, by the availability of jobs and by the cost of living.
Even the federal earnings resources need to be carefully interpreted. According to the technical documentation of the College Scorecard, the program-level figures are based on specific groups of former students and the data undergo privacy-related adjustments.
In 2026 the Department of Education cautions potential borrowers against considering institutional earnings data as a forecast of their own personal salary. The statistics include only those graduates who had received federal aid, were earning an income and had left college four years after graduation; those students who were unemployed or who were not earning reportable income were not included in the calculation of the median earnings.
Reddit Users Say the Salary Promises Did Not Match Reality
Since Reddit stories cannot be verified on their own and must not be regarded as scientific evidence, they do offer real-life examples of how students claim to have understood the salary information given to them by colleges, professors, and academic advisers.
The topic of expected starting salaries came up, and on Reddit the user Zealousideal-Gain280 spoke about having completed a labour-relations programme.
The user said that when he was doing his labor relations course the school firmly stated that $60k was the amount he should be getting; yet here he is earning $22 an hour.
During that same discussion, the Reddit user blehbleh1122 stated that both professors and members of the department claimed that a bachelor’s degree in psychology would result in a job paying about $60,000.
The user stated after they had graduated that the best job that was available to them was in a field other than psychology and earned about $40,000 for 50-hour weeks.
A separate discussion questioned the graduates as to whether the average salaries they had been told about before going to college had actually come true. The Reddit user StudentLoanStruggle stated that a person who had enrolled in a logistics programme had given an expected salary of $65,000.
I have never come near the $65k that they quoted in 2005, the user stated.
In the same post, the Reddit user Chipotleislyfee stated that an adviser had mentioned the numerous jobs available to biochemistry graduates and had given the figure of an average starting salary of $63,000; the only offer the graduate received was a position as a laboratory technician paying $13 per hour.
The user then went to a technical school, obtained an associate degree in supply-chain management and got a government job which paid $54,000.
The fact that these experiences occur does not prove that all colleges deliberately mislead their students; rather, they demonstrate why a general average or median can become dangerous if no clear explanation is given as to who is included in the calculation.
The Real Cost of College Is Often Difficult to See
The salary represents only one aspect of the investment; students should also realize the full cost of getting the degree.
The Government Accountability Office looked into the financial-aid offers made by colleges and calculated that 91 percent of them either did not include the correct net price or stated it as being lower than it was.
In half of the colleges examined the net price was given lower than it should be, and 41 per cent failed to give a net-price estimate. Approximately one quarter of the colleges excluded tuition and fees from the figures listed. In some cases the apparent price was made to look lower by deducting student loans, even though such loans are usually having to be repaid.
The present federal cost data illustrates just how great the financial commitment can be.
The average amount paid for in-state tuition and fees at public four-year institutions, as given in the National Center for Education Statistics’ 2024-25 cost table, was $9,022, while private nonprofit four-year institutions had an average of $33,665.
It doesn’t cover the full cost of attendance; public four-year institutions also gave figures amounting to $1,240 for books and supplies, $12,726 for on-campus food and housing, and $4,194 for other expenses. If you add up these various items, the estimated annual cost written on the bill is about $27,000.
At private, nonprofit four-year colleges the total of the listed fees exceeds $51,000 for a single academic year because the amounts actually paid differ depending on the grants, scholarships, mode of living and the aid offered by the institution.
America currently has around $1.85 trillion in student debt.
The effects of borrowing can be seen all over the national economy.
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s 2025 student-loan report there were over 46 million consumers who held federal or private student loans at the end of the 2024-25 award year.
The total amount still owed was about $1.85 trillion, of which federal loans made up around $1.67 trillion and private student loans amounted to approximately $181 billion.
The most up-to-date figures available from the Federal Student Aid loan portfolio indicate that the federal balance had risen to about $1.724 trillion among 42.6 million recipients by March 31, 2026.
It doesn’t follow that all borrowers have made bad decisions. People who have studied to become doctors, engineers, nurses, lawyers, and so on may achieve considerable financial rewards as a result of their education. The issue arises when students take out loans based on a figure for earnings that does not reflect the reality they will encounter after they graduate.
Trade Careers Can Produce a Stronger Debt-to-Wage Ratio
Trade schools shouldn’t be promoted using the same unrealistic assurances that are sometimes linked to college degrees. Since trade wages are median figures, apprentices might earn a great deal less when they are gaining their experience. The work can be physically demanding, job opportunities differ from one area to another and some occupations carry with them risks of injury or irregular working hours.
The cost-to-income ratio could still be considerably stronger.
The median hourly wages for electricians, plumbers and pipefitters, HVAC technicians and electrical power-line installers were $30.38, $30.67, $29.33 and $45.83 respectively, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 occupational wage data.
When annualized at 40 hours per week, the median hourly rates amount to about $63,200 for electricians, $63,800 for plumbers, $61,000 for HVAC technicians and $95,300 for power-line installers. However, an individual’s actual annual income will vary depending on overtime, seasonal work and the total number of hours worked.
The financial benefit is usually the one seen in the training programme.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that most electricians acquire their skills through paid apprenticeships. Plumbers and pipefitters too usually start their careers by means of apprenticeships, and HVAC technicians generally finish a shorter nondegree program before going on to get further training in the workplace.
For the 2024-25 academic year, the average in-state tuition and required fees at public two-year institutions were $4,968, as compared to $9,022 at public four-year institutions and $33,665 at private nonprofit four-year institutions.
A student joining a paid apprenticeship will start to earn money during their training rather than having to borrow until they receive their first full-time paycheck.
The Number Students Actually Need
Students should not limit themselves to asking, “What is the median wage for this degree?”
They ought to find out how much local graduates are earning in their first and second years, how many students complete the program, how many secure employment in the field, whether graduate school is required and how much debt will be left when the first payment is due.
A degree which has a median wage of $70,000 could represent a bad financial investment since it involves $150,000 in debt and several years of low-paid employment; on the other hand, a trade having a median wage of $60,000 might provide a better financial return if the training is cheap or is paid for through an apprenticeship.
College can remain a good investment, and community college, certification programs, apprenticeships and trade schools can also lead to steady careers.
The only true criterion is not prestige or the salary figure listed on a college’s website; it is the way in which the total cost, the likely earnings in the early years of your career, the probability of graduating, the availability of jobs in the area, and the amount of debt left over after you finish school relate to one another.