Online Colleges

Both graduates from four-year colleges and those who did not attend college believe that, on average, a bachelor's degree makes a difference of $20,000 in yearly earnings, according to a 2011 Pew Research Center survey on whether college is worth the cost. U.S. Census Bureau data shows these estimates are pretty accurate--the median earning gap between a high school grad and a college grad in 2010 was $19,500.