
Value of an Associate’s Degree
What if we told you there’s a way to make more money and live longer? Most of us would
be all over that.
Well, it’s true, you can do both simply by earning your college degree. We’ve known
for some time that those with a higher level of education make more money. Now, it’s
been shown you live longer too.
First, let’s talk money - A Half-Million Dollars
According to the National Center for Education Statistics , the median annual earnings of full-time, year-round male wage and salary workers,
ages 25 – 34, who earned their Associate’s Degree is $43,600. For those with just
a high school diploma it’s $32,800.
That’s a difference of nearly $11,000 per year. Take that simple number times the
roughly 45 years that most people will be working and we’re talking somewhere in the
range of a half a million dollars!
And, just for comparison, those with less than a high school diploma have annual earnings
of less than $25,000 annually. That’s just barely more than half of those with an
Associate’s Degree.

Get a Job
Not only will you make more money with an Associate’s Degree, it’s also easier to
find a job.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , the national unemployment rate in October, 2014, was 5.8 percent but it was a full
percentage point lower, 4.8 percent, for those with an Associate’s Degree.
Compare that to those with a high school diploma at 5.7 percent and those without
a high school education at 7.9 percent.
Live Longer
That’s right, let’s talk about health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention releases a report not too long ago showing a distinct correlation between health
and education. Though these statistics are for people with Bachelor’s Degrees, it’s
reasonable to believe that those with Associate’s Degrees will also experience some
of these advantages.
(By the way, just a reminder, our formal transfer agreements make it easy to transfer your credits from us to a state university or area private college once you graduate from us.)
Between 1996-2006, the gap in life expectancy at age 25 between those with less than
a high school education and those with a Bachelor’s Degree or higher increased by
1.9 years for men and 2.8 years for women.
On average in 2006, 25-year-old men without a high school diploma had a life expectancy
9.3 years less than those with a Bachelor’s Degree or higher. Women without a high
school diploma had a life expectancy 8.6 years less than those with a Bachelor’s Degree
or higher.
So, give us a call today at 1-888-336-3907 and increase your chances of higher incomes
and better health.
Questions? Call toll-free 1-888-336-3907, email eiccinfo@eicc.edu or contact the college nearest you and ask to speak to an advisor.
- Clinton Community College, 563-244-7000
- Muscatine Community College, 563-288-6000
- Scott Community College, 563-441-4000
t is the policy of Eastern Iowa Community College District not to discriminate in
its programs, activities, or employment on the basis of race, color, national origin,
sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, religion, and actual
or potential family, parental or marital status, as required by the Iowa Code §§216.6
and 216.9, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d and
2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.), Title IX (Educational
Amendments, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C.
§ 794), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et
seq.).
If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with this policy, please
contact EICC’s Equal Employment Opportunity Officer/Equity Coordinator, Eastern Iowa
Community College District, 101 West Third Street, Davenport, Iowa 52801, 563-336-5222,
equity@eicc.edu or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights U.S. Department of
Education, John C. Kluczynski Federal Building, 230 S. Dearborn Street, 37th Floor,
Chicago, IL 60604-7204, Telephone: (312) 730-1560 Facsimile: (312) 730- 1576, TDD
(800) 877-8339 Email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov.