StudySpace: We the People ed. 6

The value of an education can be seen by the statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Education. Go to http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/p23-210.pdf and look at Figure 6 (on page 6 of 13). 

1. Compute the percentage of salary difference between a man and a woman at each level of education. Divide the larger number into the smaller number and subtract the answer from 100. Alternatively, subtract the smaller number from the larger number and divide the difference by the larger number. At which level is the difference the greatest? The least? How can you explain this?
   
   

2. Why does a woman with a masters degree make less than a man with a bachelors degree?
   
   

3. Compute the following differences:

   Men high school graduates and men college graduates:
   percent

   Women high school graduates and women college graduates:
   percent

   Men with bachelor’s degrees and men with master’s degrees:
   percent

   Women with bachelor’s degrees and women with master’s degrees:
   percent

   What generalization can you draw from this data?
   
   

4. Does a college education pay? Multiply the average earnings of a high school man and a high school woman (separately) by 47 (the years between ages 18 and 65); then multiply a college graduate’s earnings by 43. Subtract from the college graduate’s earnings four years of high school level earnings (lost income) and the projected costs of your four-year education. What is the difference? How much income is lost by women compared with men? Should you stay in school? Should you pursue an advanced degree?