A big reason many people are willing to take on the expense of college is that having a degree tends to lead to higher wages. Workers with a bachelor's degree earn a median $2.8 million over the course of their careers, according to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. By contrast, workers with only a high school diploma earn a median $1.6 million.

If you've recently graduated college, you may be aware that you're probably not going to manage to command the most impressive salary. After all, your experience may be minimal to nonexistent, and if you didn't study in a specialized field, you may not have a six-figure paycheck hitting your bank account right away. READ MORE