of the cost of college in the US has almost tripled over the past 40 years, per Bankratewith the average cost of tuition and fees for four-year public schools coming in at just under $11,000 for in-state students and nearly $30,000 for out-of-state students for 2022-2023, according to recent research from College Board.

Meanwhile, the US WAGES have stagnated since the 1970s, with productivity growing more than three times faster than income, CNBC reported. Average starting salary of college graduates is about $58,862.

So perhaps it's no surprise that a majority of Americans (56%) believe they earn a four-year College degree not worth it, according to a survey by The Wall Street Journal and NORC at the University of Chicago. Of course, many who choose higher education may wonder which college degrees and eventual careers will provide the greatest return on a significant investment.