Americans today invest more time than ever and go to considerable expense in acquiring an education. Is the return worth the investment? Yes, say recent statistics from the 1987 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). In general, earnings are higher for more educated people.

This brief examines the educational attainment of the adult population, the fields they received their degree in, and their earnings. The 1987 data are compared with similar data collected from SIPP in spring 1984.