Key Takeaways
- The average value of a college degree (specifically, a bachelor’s degree) varies widely across the United States, from under $3,000 in Washington, D.C., to nearly $24,000 in California.
- On average across the country, a bachelor’s degree boosts income by around $13,000.
A college degree is often viewed as a lifelong investment, but the financial payoff of education depends heavily not only on what you study, but also on where you live.
This map uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau to visualize the value of a bachelor’s degree in each U.S. state, by comparing the median value of earnings of a bachelor’s degree holder to the median earnings of the average worker.
| Rank | State | Median earnings | Bachelor’s degree added earnings | Median earnings with degree |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $57,142 | $23,732 | $80,874 |
| 2 | Georgia | $51,472 | $19,110 | $70,582 |
| 3 | New York | $57,977 | $18,783 | $76,760 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $62,394 | $18,713 | $81,107 |
| 5 | Texas | $51,410 | $18,084 | $69,494 |
| 6 | Washington | $63,980 | $17,660 | $81,640 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $53,151 | $17,110 | $70,261 |
| 8 | Oregon | $53,070 | $16,492 | $69,562 |
| 9 | Illinois | $56,201 | $16,424 | $72,625 |
| 10 | Ohio | $51,357 | $16,234 | $67,591 |
Read more: Visual Capitalist