With many seniors thinking seriously about their post-high school future, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the macro trends in educational attainment in the U.S. since 1940. Here's the chart from the Census Bureau that is the chart of the week:

Questions: 

• Write a headline to summarize the data in this chart. 
• What do you think these percentages will be in 2050? Explain your answer.
• What do you think are the factors that have led to the trend towards more education? 
• Your friend looks at this chart and says "See, I told you, only about 1/3 of people have college degrees. Given those low percentages, do you really need one?" How would you respond? 

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Interested in this issue of whether college is worth it? Check out our latest FinCap Friday: Show Me the Money. 

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.