"Stay in school.” “You need to understand the value of an education.” “Where will you be without an education?” Ah, the words of Mom and Dad still ring in the ears of many. Mom and Dad may not have gotten everything right but they certainly understood the relationship between education and earning potential. According to U.S. Census data, those who didn’t finish high school averaged $19,915 in earnings in 2005, while those with high school diplomas averaged $29,448 and employees with college degrees earned $54,689. Individuals with advanced degrees averaged $80,000. Surprisingly (and unfortunately), the percent of Americans with high school diplomas has remained about the same over the past 70 years, hovering around 85%. About 28% hold bachelor’s degrees. More data are available at: http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en.