(Surprising) Benefits of a College Degree: Why You Should Convince Your Child to Get a College Degree

By Laurie Evans

The reasons are many and reach far beyond education and potential income.

According to various studies, your child likely will be happier and healthier with a degree in hand.

1.) College graduates have a higher earning potential.
Over their lifetime, a college graduate is likely to earn 84% more than someone with just a high school diploma, according to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce.
2.) You’ll live longer, healthier lives with a college degree.
According to the Commission to Build a Healthier America, college graduates live longer, have better health outcomes and are more likely to engage in health-promoting activities like regular exercise and refraining from smoking.
3.) College graduates are more likely to marry other college graduates.
This leads to higher family income, according to a study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
4.) College graduates are less likely to divorce.
A study recently published in the journal Family Relations says that married couples who have attained higher levels of education are less likely to divorce than less-educated couples.
5.) College graduates have healthier babies.
According to the National Vital Statistics Report, children born to women who have not finished high school are twice as likely to die before their first birthday as children born to women who have graduated from college.
6.) Earning a college degree has been linked to lower blood pressure and lower levels of stress hormones.
A 30-year longitudinal study published by BMC Health shows that college grads have, on average, lower blood pressure. A study published by the Carnegie Mellon University psychology department found that college degree holders have lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, compared to people with less education.
7.) Get a degree and you’ll like your job more.
According to a 2014 Pew Research report, more than half of employed adults, ages 25-34, with a college degree reported being “very satisfied” with their current job, while only 37 percent of employed adults without a college education felt the same way.
8.) Keep your job longer with a degree.
CNBC.com collected data from the financial information firm Sageworks to identify 10 “recession-proof” industries. These “safer” industries usually require some form of higher education.
9.) A degree means you might dodge certain cancers.
College grades are at a lower risk of developing colorectal, prostate, lung and breast cancer, according to a 2008 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.