Dan Rosenfield - Special to the Sun

United States Department of Labor 2004 statistics reveal that full time workers 25 years of age and older earn a median weekly salary of $676.

Those without a high school diploma average nearly $300 a week less($396). High school graduates with no college average $562, and college graduates holding at least a bachelors degree earn nearly $1000 weekly.

College graduates with an undergraduate degree only had median weekly earnings of $926, while those with an advanced degree had median earnings of $1,149.

Other studies have determined that the income differential by educational attainment is even higher, with college graduates earning almost a million dollars more than high school graduates during their working lives. And, it seems likely that education level will have an even greater influence on earning power in the future.

According to The Washington Research Council, "During the next century, higher education will become increasingly important for landing high-paying jobs", and "It's widely believed that the 'new economy' will require increasingly higher levels of education."

Furthermore, in our increasingly competitive global economy, it seems highly likely that workers with bachelors, masters, professional, and doctoral degrees will suffer less unemployment and be less adversely impacted by the rise of economies overseas and the continued outsourcing of jobs. Yet, higher paying jobs and increased job security are not the only career-related rewards of higher education.

What about career and job satisfaction? A study by Reardon, Lenz, Sampson, and Peterson in 2000 found that people spend approximately 86,000 hours of their lives working. That is the equivalent of about ten years...way too long to spend in a career and/or a series of jobs in which one is not happy. Of course, those with the most education and those willing to continue their education and career training while working are the most likely to qualify for a variety of jobs, win promotions and/or change careers, maximizing the chance that their job satisfaction will be higher than their less educated counterparts.

There seems to be no doubt that undergraduate and graduate degrees lead to significantly greater earnings, a wider range of employment opportunities, more frequent career advancement, and significantly increased job satisfaction.

Because the value of higher education is increasingly valued by employees and employers alike, and because scholarships and financial aid are now more readily available than ever before to students in online education programs, the number of working adults enrolled in part time degree programs is at an all time high.

And, clearly, whether earned in a traditional or online program, a college degree is now more important and more valuable than ever before.

Dan Rosenfield has served as a Director of Admissions, Dean of Admissions,and Dean of Enrollment Management at the undergraduate and graduate school

level. Early in his career he was an independent school admissions director and college counselor.