truewise Honest US education data

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The honest number behind US education.

See, program by program, whether a college’s graduates out-earn a high-school graduate, and what families actually pay.

1 in 10 undergraduate programs with published earnings have graduates who earn less than a typical high-school graduate.

4,308 of 41,198 certificate, associate’s and bachelor’s programs, each counted once. Only about 28% of programs can be judged; ED publishes no earnings for most of the rest. Where only one-year earnings are published, those are used; on four-year figures alone it is 1 in 13. Cosmetology: 96% fall short.

What graduates earn vs a high-school grad

How far graduates of college programs earn above or below a typical high-school graduateOf 41,198 judged undergraduate programs, 4,308 (about 10%) have graduates who earn less than a typical high-school graduate; at the median program, graduates earn 52% more. Bars, left to right: earn less 4,308; 0-25% more 6,433; 25-50% more 9,211; 50-75% more 7,431; 75-100% more 4,843; 100-150% more 5,695; 150%+ more 3,277.10%16%22%18%12%14%8%HS line0%25%50%75%100%150%earn lessearn more than the HS line →n = 41,198 judged undergrad programs
How far graduates of college programs earn above or below a typical high-school graduateOf 41,198 judged undergraduate programs, 4,308 (about 10%) have graduates who earn less than a typical high-school graduate; at the median program, graduates earn 52% more. Bars, left to right: earn less 4,308; 0-25% more 6,433; 25-50% more 9,211; 50-75% more 7,431; 75-100% more 4,843; 100-150% more 5,695; 150%+ more 3,277.10%16%22%18%12%14%8%HS line0%25%50%75%100%150%earn lessearn more →n = 41,198 judged undergrad programs

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How we stay honest

  • Every figure carries its source and date.
  • Nothing is estimated to fill a gap. When ED publishes no figure, the page says so.
  • Earnings describe past graduates. They are not a promise.

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