Here’s another reason to get a higher education.
University of South Carolina researchers have linked getting a bachelor’s degree from a college or university by midlife to better health.
The study, led by Dr. Katrina Walsemann of USC’s Arnold School of Public Health, found people with BA degrees had fewer symptoms of depression and higher ratings of overall health than those who without college educations.
The findings, published in the American Journal of Public Health, were based on health information gathered from 7,179 people who were part of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth -- a nationally representative sample of individuals who were 14 to 21 years old in 1979.
People who had an associate's degree by age 25, and who later earned a bachelor's degree or higher, also reported better health at midlife.
"About 38 percent of people pursuing college degrees are 25 years old or older,” Walsemann said. “A significant percentage of U.S. individuals attain their highest degree after their mid-20s. The study has important implications for education and public health and how we think about policies to encourage people to pursue college degrees."