Two years ago, David Leonhardt argued that B.A.s pay, even for careers that don't require them. The title: "Even for Cashiers, College Pays Off." Is this true?
I've spent the last two weeks tracking down the data. Leonhardt relied on Anthony Carnevale and Stephen Rose's The Undereducated American plus some of their unpublished data. When I tracked down the unpublished data, Steve Rose generously gave me updated numbers unavailable to Leonhardt. Those are the data I rely on below.
So does college pay off for cashiers? The answer turns out to be Yes and No. Before you can answer the question, you must refine it.
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