What does the data mean? Slackers tend not to go to college, while go-getters do? Who did the study? Was it a college or university? Who was included and excluded? Data means absolutely nothing in the real world. At least not anymore when almost every study has an agenda behind it.
Biggest problem with the "highly educated" is the lack of wisdom and common sense. They become enamored with studies and numbers and ignore what's in front of them. In many respects, they were way better off before their big degrees, when they could think for themselves. After their big degrees, they look outside and see a storm, but if the weather report says no rain, then they don't take an umbrella. They tend to become much less sensitive to real facts and figures, and keep clinging to slanted studies.
I've been on interview boards for at least the past 15 years and 9 out of 10 times our best and brightest have come from military backgrounds or worked themselves up through the ranks. Most of our "highly educated" interviewees end up disqualifying themselves due to their level of errogance. We also hesitate to hire them, because history has showed us they will jump from job to job, trying to get rank and fold up or quit under pressure. There's no study that shows that. That wouldn't meet anyone's agenda.
Scary part is, some employers have bought into this and require college degrees for entry level jobs. Can't hardly take a 30-40k salary when you're 130k in debt and you can't get the better job, because you have no experience.
These studies also only look at a dollar for dollar comparison, but if you spent 15 years paying off a 130k school debt compared to the same time paying down your mortgage or investing the money, you'll be way ahead of the game. Nothing says you can't get a job and get your education from your sallary, but every kid out of high school has been told they won't amount to anything, unless they go to school, which requires their first year to be lived in a dorm, spending ungodly amounts of cash for the privilege and on and on it goes.
Don't think anyone responded to your facts and figures, because most have grown tired of this thread. I hardly find the numbers factual, because experience tells me way different. None of these studies show how satisfied these graduates are or how far in debt, opportunity costs lost, etc.
Studies are rarely impressive. Want to show good unemployment numbers? Exclude those who have given up looking. Want to show an increase in jobs created? Exclude the number of jobs lost. Want to show a wage gap between men and women? Include stay at home moms and exclude time off for maternity, etc. studies can show what they want. Not impressed.
Sorry for the non drum related and off topic rant!