A high school diploma used to be the main education people needed to get a job, but today it seems that even a bachelor’s degree is not good enough.

When my parents were young, it was a big deal if someone got a college degree. Today, a college degree is the norm.

Graduate degrees, law degrees, master’s degrees and doctorates are what impress people now.

In order to have a job where you will pretty much be financially set, a student must spend more than just the four years of undergraduate in college.

Doctors, lawyers and engineers are some of the only professions that can handle economic downturns and still thrive.

Of course they must be high up in their profession and not working in the public sector.

According to earnmydegree.com, those who do not finish high school make $23,400 on average per year. Those who have a high school diploma make $30,400 per year on average. Students who get an associate’s degree make $38,200 per year. The average college graduate makes $52,200 per year.

Although $52,000 per year is a good amount, it is quickly becoming inadequate to cover living expenses and a comfortable life, especially if parents also want to pay for their children to go to college.

Those who get a master’s degree make $63,300 per year on average, which is a lot lower than I would have thought. A master’s degree only gets someone $10,000 more a year than a bachelor’s degree, yet getting a master’s costs way more than a bachelor’s degree.

Those who get doctoral degrees make $89,400 per year, and those who get a professional degree make $109,600 per year.

According to these numbers, a doctoral or professional degree is needed to live a luxurious life with minimal financial problems.

What does this say for our future? What will the next degree be above professional degrees?

The economy and society’s expectations are putting more and more pressure on students. Gone are the days where a bachelor’s degree called for high praise, and soon gone will be the days of a graduate degree being worthy of high praise.

Gradually, ever more education is needed to get a job that pays enough to live a comfortable life, as society gets more and more expensive.

Abby Allgire is a senior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]