---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Earning a college degree clearly yields a…"
description: "\"“Earning a college degree clearly yields a big private benefit to the graduate since there is a large gap in earnings between someone with a college de..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6c/robert-b-archibald-69431_age-gap_earning-a-college-degree-clearly-yields_2078047.jpg"
---

#  Earning a college degree clearly yields a big private…

![“Earning a college degree clearly yields a big private benefit to the graduate since there is a large gap in earnings between someone with a college degree and someone whose education stops with high school. This wage gap has widened substantially over the past quarter century, which is one of the…” quote by Robert B. Archibald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6c/robert-b-archibald-69431_age-gap_earning-a-college-degree-clearly-yields_2078047.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6c/robert-b-archibald-69431_age-gap_earning-a-college-degree-clearly-yields_2078047.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6c/robert-b-archibald-69431_age-gap_earning-a-college-degree-clearly-yields_2078047.jpg)

> ““Earning a college degree clearly yields a big private benefit to the graduate since there is a large gap in earnings between someone with a college degree and someone whose education stops with high school. This wage gap has widened substantially over the past quarter century, which is one of the factors fueling an increased demand for places in four-year schools. So going to college clearly is an investment decision for each individual.””

[Robert B. Archibald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-archibald/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

College education yields higher earnings, making it a rational personal investment, especially as the wage gap widens and demand for degrees grows.

**In simple terms:** College leads to higher pay and is a smart investment.

Key Takeaway

Invest in higher education for better earnings.

Themes

education economics human capital earnings gap investment career planning

Mood

pragmatic optimistic analytical

Type

informative educational

When to use this quote

- career counseling
- financial planning
- policy analysis
- student advising

Key Concepts

return on investment skill acquisition labor market college affordability

Questions to Reflect On

- What non‑monetary values does a degree provide?
- How can you mitigate debt while pursuing education?

A Different Perspective

The quote may overlook non‑financial benefits of education and rising student debt.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Age gap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age-gap/) [Benefit Graduate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefit-graduate-4044454/) [College degree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college-degree/) [Earning College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earning-college-463105/) [Earnings College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earnings-college-4044455/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Going College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-college/) [Graduation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graduation/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/)

## Related quotes

> [Earning my college degree. It was a promise I made to my parents. I understand that football is only a certain time in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-mariota/earning-my-college-degree-it-was-a-promise-i-made-to-my-parents-i/)

[Marcus Mariota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-mariota/)

> [They had nothing to say to each other. A five-year age gap between siblings is like a garden that needs constant attention. Even three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/they-had-nothing-to-say-to-each-other-a-five-year-age-gap-between/)

[Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/)

> [When I wrote 'The Assistants,' I knew very much that I wanted to write about income inequality and student loan debt and the gender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-perri/when-i-wrote-the-assistants-i-knew-very-much-that-i-wanted-to-write/)

[Camille Perri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-perri/)

> [“The game is a thread, microscopic in breadth, a hint of gossamer drawing unsuspecting souls together in simple competition to the exclusion of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-rogers/the-game-is-a-thread-microscopic-in-breadth-a-hint-of-gossamer/)

[Drew Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-rogers/)

> [I think there can be a tipping point in relationships with a big age gap when the older partner finds themselves in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coleen-nolan/i-think-there-can-be-a-tipping-point-in-relationships-with-a-big-age/)

[Coleen Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coleen-nolan/)

> [I'm fighting to make childcare more affordable for working parents so they can continue working and advancing their careers, closing wage gaps that for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gillibrand/i-m-fighting-to-make-childcare-more-affordable-for-working-parents-so/)

[Kirsten Gillibrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-gillibrand/)

> [Most women without childrenspend much more time than men on housework; with children, they devote more time to both housework and child care. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-hochschild/most-women-without-childrenspend-much-more-time-than-men-on-housework/)

[Arlie Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-hochschild/)

> [Forty-year-old seems to be nothing without the father's advice. Father to learn properlythe huge age gap that hurts a lot. Why do not understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/forty-year-old-seems-to-be-nothing-without-the-father-s-advice-father/)

[Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/)

> [My mom was right. That's one hell of an age gap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-tyler/my-mom-was-right-that-s-one-hell-of-an-age-gap/)

[Rose Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-tyler/)

> [It's not like I'm some kind of veteran and there is this huge age gap. I identify with them more off the field. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-zito/it-s-not-like-i-m-some-kind-of-veteran-and-there-is-this-huge-age-gap/)

[Barry Zito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-zito/)

> [For women the wage gap sets up an infuriating Catch-22 situation. They do the housework because they earn less, and they earn less because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-ann-hewitt/for-women-the-wage-gap-sets-up-an-infuriating-catch-22-situation-they-2/)

[Sylvia Ann Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-ann-hewitt/)

> [We have required under law for years that men and women get paid equal money for equal work. But we've faced challenges enforcing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-frankel/we-have-required-under-law-for-years-that-men-and-women-get-paid/)

[Lois Frankel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-frankel/)

> [For women the wage gap sets up an infuriating Catch-22 situation. They do the housework because they earn less, and they earn lessbecause they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-ann-hewlett/for-women-the-wage-gap-sets-up-an-infuriating-catch-22-situation-they/)

[Sylvia Ann Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-ann-hewlett/)

> [The raw wage gap number is not a measure of equal pay for equal work. It is a comparison of averages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/the-raw-wage-gap-number-is-not-a-measure-of-equal-pay-for-equal-work/)

[Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/)

> [It concerns me when people frame the conversation about equal pay about the entertainment business. I don't want the wage gap issue to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/it-concerns-me-when-people-frame-the-conversation-about-equal-pay/)

[Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/)

## More by Robert B. Archibald

> [“The view from ten thousand feet reveals that the question: “Why do higher education costs rise more rapidly than other costs?” could just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-archibald/the-view-from-ten-thousand-feet-reveals-that-the-question-why-do/)

[Robert B. Archibald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-archibald/)

> [“technology leads to lower costs when it replaces workers' salaries. It does the opposite when it requires more highly-trained workers to utilize that technology.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-archibald/technology-leads-to-lower-costs-when-it-replaces-workers-salaries-it/)

[Robert B. Archibald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-archibald/)

> [“Policies focused on controlling price are likely to damage the quality of our colleges and universities. They are also full of possibilities for surprising,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-archibald/policies-focused-on-controlling-price-are-likely-to-damage-the/)

[Robert B. Archibald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-archibald/)

[Explore all 4 Robert B. Archibald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-archibald/)

## More Age gap quotes

> [It concerns me when people frame the conversation about equal pay about the entertainment business. I don't want the wage gap issue to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/it-concerns-me-when-people-frame-the-conversation-about-equal-pay/)

[Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/)

> [The raw wage gap number is not a measure of equal pay for equal work. It is a comparison of averages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/the-raw-wage-gap-number-is-not-a-measure-of-equal-pay-for-equal-work/)

[Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/)

> [For women the wage gap sets up an infuriating Catch-22 situation. They do the housework because they earn less, and they earn lessbecause they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-ann-hewlett/for-women-the-wage-gap-sets-up-an-infuriating-catch-22-situation-they/)

[Sylvia Ann Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-ann-hewlett/)

> [We have required under law for years that men and women get paid equal money for equal work. But we've faced challenges enforcing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-frankel/we-have-required-under-law-for-years-that-men-and-women-get-paid/)

[Lois Frankel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-frankel/)

> [For women the wage gap sets up an infuriating Catch-22 situation. They do the housework because they earn less, and they earn less because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-ann-hewitt/for-women-the-wage-gap-sets-up-an-infuriating-catch-22-situation-they-2/)

[Sylvia Ann Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-ann-hewitt/)

> [It's not like I'm some kind of veteran and there is this huge age gap. I identify with them more off the field. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-zito/it-s-not-like-i-m-some-kind-of-veteran-and-there-is-this-huge-age-gap/)

[Barry Zito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-zito/)

> [My mom was right. That's one hell of an age gap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-tyler/my-mom-was-right-that-s-one-hell-of-an-age-gap/)

[Rose Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-tyler/)

> [Forty-year-old seems to be nothing without the father's advice. Father to learn properlythe huge age gap that hurts a lot. Why do not understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/forty-year-old-seems-to-be-nothing-without-the-father-s-advice-father/)

[Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/)

> [Most women without childrenspend much more time than men on housework; with children, they devote more time to both housework and child care. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-hochschild/most-women-without-childrenspend-much-more-time-than-men-on-housework/)

[Arlie Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-hochschild/)

> [I'm fighting to make childcare more affordable for working parents so they can continue working and advancing their careers, closing wage gaps that for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gillibrand/i-m-fighting-to-make-childcare-more-affordable-for-working-parents-so/)

[Kirsten Gillibrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-gillibrand/)

> [I think there can be a tipping point in relationships with a big age gap when the older partner finds themselves in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coleen-nolan/i-think-there-can-be-a-tipping-point-in-relationships-with-a-big-age/)

[Coleen Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coleen-nolan/)

> [“The game is a thread, microscopic in breadth, a hint of gossamer drawing unsuspecting souls together in simple competition to the exclusion of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-rogers/the-game-is-a-thread-microscopic-in-breadth-a-hint-of-gossamer/)

[Drew Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-rogers/)

> [When I wrote 'The Assistants,' I knew very much that I wanted to write about income inequality and student loan debt and the gender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-perri/when-i-wrote-the-assistants-i-knew-very-much-that-i-wanted-to-write/)

[Camille Perri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-perri/)

> [They had nothing to say to each other. A five-year age gap between siblings is like a garden that needs constant attention. Even three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/they-had-nothing-to-say-to-each-other-a-five-year-age-gap-between/)

[Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/)

> [In life, you see younger men and older women, and the majority of marriages don't have such a huge age gap as we're used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudie-styler/in-life-you-see-younger-men-and-older-women-and-the-majority-of/)

[Trudie Styler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudie-styler/)

[Browse all 44 Age gap quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age-gap/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Earning a college degree clearly yields a big private benefit to the graduate since there is a large gap in earnings between someone with a college degree and someone whose education stops with high school. This wage gap has widened substantially over the past quarter century, which is one of the factors fueling an increased demand for places in four-year schools. So going to college clearly is an investment decision for each individual.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Robert B. Archibald"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-archibald/earning-a-college-degree-clearly-yields-a-big-private-benefit-to-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Age gap"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-archibald/earning-a-college-degree-clearly-yields-a-big-private-benefit-to-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6c/robert-b-archibald-69431_age-gap_earning-a-college-degree-clearly-yields_2078047.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6c/robert-b-archibald-69431_age-gap_earning-a-college-degree-clearly-yields_2078047.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6c/robert-b-archibald-69431_age-gap_earning-a-college-degree-clearly-yields_2078047.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Earning a college degree clearly yields a big private benefit to the graduate since there is a large gap in…” — Robert B. Archibald",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Robert B. Archibald",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-archibald/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Earning a college degree clearly yields...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-archibald/earning-a-college-degree-clearly-yields-a-big-private-benefit-to-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-archibald/earning-a-college-degree-clearly-yields-a-big-private-benefit-to-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
