Utah Foundation’s December 2005 report entitled “What is a college degree worth?” found that many Utah college graduates are earning less than $30,000 in their first year after graduation. Some concern was expressed regarding the relatively low starting salaries of Utah graduates. However, it should be noted that the value of a four year college degree cannot be adequately assessed by examining only the starting salaries of graduates. This brief will more deeply explore what a college degree is worth to graduates over their lifetimes.