$20,000. when you look as the census data, if you look at the median difference in annual earnings with $one with a high school degree and college degree, it's $19,500. martha: what would you claim in terms of long-term bang for that buck. you can say $20,000 more. but i would imagine your lifetime earning potential is exponential. view require certainly is. i think it study shows over half a million dollars in net after you take out lost wages while you are in college as well as the costs of going to college. so i think economically it's a good deal. but i also really would want to make sure i get the points across that higher education is not just about how much you make or howwhat you are going to do,t