The earning power of bachelor’s degrees
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Have you ever wondered how much bang you get for your bachelor’s degree buck? While there’s something to be said for following one’s passion no matter the earning potential (and if actuarial science is your passion, all the better), it's intriguing to see how different fields determine wages. Here are the average salaries for four-year college graduates.
- In 2022, full-time workers ages 25 to 64 with bachelor’s degrees earned an average of $100,311.
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- Graduates who studied actuarial science had 2022’s highest average annual earnings, bringing in $160,180. Conversely, full-time workers who majored in clinical psychology earned the least among bachelor's degree holders, averaging $44,991 in 2022.
- People working full-time whose highest level of education was a bachelor’s degree made a median of $1,432 per week, nearly 68% more than people with high school diplomas ($853 per week).
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The realities of rising home insurance costs
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Property insurance is becoming pricier and harder to get. A 2023 Congressional Research Service report cites above-average inflation, regulatory changes, and frequent costly natural disasters as some of the reasons. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, these issues are playing out starkly for homeowners and renters. |
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- FEMA’s National Risk Index assesses regions for the likelihood of damage from 18 types of natural disasters. According to the index, 45.7 million people, 13.8% of the population, lived in counties with a very high risk for disasters as of March 2023. Another 86.8 million (26.2% of the population) lived in high-risk areas.
- The National Flood Insurance Program, managed by FEMA, insures Americans against flood damage. According to FEMA, weather pattern shifts have increased flood risks in recent decades, driving the insurance program’s debt from zero to $20.5 billion over the past 20 years.
- Costs for flood insurance program premiums have grown faster than inflation, rising between 6% and 12% annually from 2015 to 2021.
Some of the population centers with very high overall risk include:
- Chicago, with risks of heat waves, cold waves, lightning, winds, tornadoes, and winter weather
- Houston, with risks from cold waves, hurricanes, lightning, riverine flooding, tornadoes, and winter weather
- Seattle, with risks of earthquakes and volcanic activity
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Both Missouri and Texas have executed inmates in the past few weeks. These executions have reignited discussions about using capital punishment in the United States. We have updated charts about the death penalty on Instagram.
Some big games were played across college football last weekend. This article from our archives takes a pre-pandemic look at what football revenue means for universities.
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One last fact: Election edition
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There were 50% more valid ballots counted in the 2020 election than in 2000, an increase that outpaced population growth. |
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