When I found out that in order for me to actually make money with that degree, I was going to have to commit to further schooling (a masters or PhD), I panicked.
It's true that those with bachelor's degrees typically earn more over a lifetime than those with a two-year degree, but that's little consolation to those who are discouraged from going to community colleges and end up dropping out of a four-year school without a degree.
"For a kid who comes out and gets a job in the high school labour market with a college degree, they're going to get paid 10 or 11 bucks an hour, " says Drexel University economist Prof Paul Harrington.