The Atlantic

The College Wealth Premium Has Collapsed

Younger folks have come of age during an era of consumer debt.
Source: Mel Evans / AP

Is college worth it? As the cost of American higher education soars, inequality widens, and wages stagnate, millions of Millennials and Gen Zers have asked themselves that question. The answer, at least from economists, has remained a resounding yes. One study found that college graduates earn nearly twice as much as their peers without a college degree.

But what if those earnings are no longer translating into financial security and long-term prosperity? A by researchers at

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