Online Masters Degree Programs

It’s one of those questions that makes Thanksgiving vacations awkward. “So,” the family asks, “what are you doing after you graduate?” Once upon a time, college graduates had the trouble of choosing between job invitations. Nowadays, the trouble is no job invitations at all. Consequently, many undergraduates are planning to extend their schooling and earn master’s degrees right away. It can be a smart financial move.

Over the years, Americans have been expected to attain higher and higher degrees in order to compete effectively in the job market. A high school graduate once had it made, but by the post-Vietnam years, a bachelor’s degree was the new standard for securing at least a middle-class lifestyle. For many years, the College Board advertised that college grads earned $800,000 more than high school graduates over a lifetime. Today, those numbers are being recalculated – and as the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports, it’s not looking good for college graduates. The master’s degree is becoming the new standard.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a person with a master’s degree earns about $240,000 more between the ages of 25 and 64 than does a person with only a bachelor’s degree. These figures use data from 1999, and the numbers are only at the beginning of a trend toward master’s degrees surging in value.

By going to graduate school now, you’re likely to graduate just as the economy is on the upswing. Silicon Valley, public schools, and a wide range of other employers are expected to see stronger job growth in the near future. Avoid the stress of competing with other four-year graduates — spend the time making yourself more marketable.

Explore our site for advice about grad school plus lists of top accredited programs in business, education, and other disciplines.