The pursuit of a higher education is an asset that elicits individual economic mobility within the American society. It provides individuals with refined skills in their respective craft that they are able to apply in the workforce, thereby boosting personal, national and global economic growth. Despite the various manifest benefits that those in pursuit of a higher education may reap, the dramatic 1,120% increase in tuition fees in the past 30 years (Bloomberg Buisness, Jamrisko) has prompted an inquiry of the true value of a higher education with respect to the resulting financial success yielded. This requires an analysis on the return on investment, or the ultimate profit obtained after making a financial investment on an education. Costly tuition most frequently results in student loans that ultimately render individuals indebted to these institutions of higher learning. According to the Huffington Post, this affair has culminated in a national student loan debt of nearly $1 trillion. (Huffington Post, Mosbergen) In comparison to a complete absence in college education, those who only obtain a high school diploma have a significantly reduced financial success. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the median salaries in 2013 uniformly increased as we go higher up in the hierarchy of degrees. In 2013, individuals with a bachelors degree earned a salary of $48,500, 103% greater than individuals who did not complete high school. Those with a GED
