&gt;The colleges are taking a disproportionate amount of credit for kids that probably already had the gumption to do what it takes to make a higher salary.<p>I&#x27;d like to know why you think that. When the job application says you must have a bachelor&#x27;s degree to be considered, gumption doesn&#x27;t enter into it.<p>&gt;The result, the state kids earnings were on par with the Ivy League School kids.<p>State school graduates earning a similar wage to Ivy League graduates doesn&#x27;t extrapolate to trade school graduates earning as much as state school graduates.<p>In any case, the hyper-focus on earnings is misplaced. It says nothing of the intangible value of an education and the four year college experience, nor the exposure to various other pursuits that influence a person&#x27;s entire life afterwards.