ABSTRACT
Since the end of World War II, education has been considered the primary pathway to opportunity and upward mobility in America (Duncan & Murnane, 2011). Higher education attainment, for example, is associated with the quality of one’s job or career and higher median earnings, a pattern that has been consistent since 2000 (Hirschman & Lee, 2006). To put this in some perspective, in 2013, young adults (aged 25-34) with a master’s or higher degree earned 23% more than bachelor’s degree holders, 52% more than associate’s degree holders, 85% more than high school completers, and 126% more than high school dropouts (National Center for Education Statistics, 2015). This pattern of higher earnings associated with higher levels of education attainment holds true for both men and women and across racial/ethnic groups (National Center for Education Statistics, 2015).
