Education is supposed to be a key out of poverty. Work hard, learn more, get a college degree — or two or three — and you can follow the American Dream. And if you don’t get that degree, if you don’t succeed, then it’s all on you. It sounds good on the surface. There is a strong correlation between educational level and earnings and a negative correlation with unemployment level. The higher the degree, the more money one makes and the less likely one is to be unemployed. But there are some caveats hidden behind the averages and encouraging statistics. As it turns out, yes, you are better off, but those from a lower income background are still generally left behind, even with a degree. Higher education is not a panacea for income inequality. Poorer students have a hard enough time getting into college in the first place, due to a qualification bottleneck. Many won’t get the test scores, quality of education, and other factors that can keep them from getting into college in the first place.

March 7, 2016 ・ From Forbes.com