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College degree pays off, Census Bureau finds

(CNN) -- Ever wonder if that college degree will pay off? According to the most recent Census Bureau survey, about 1 in 4 Americans is gambling that an education is worth investing in. This number is up from 1 in 5 Americans in 1990, according to The Associated Press.

And what is the reward for going to class? Annual average earnings in 1999 were almost twice as high for adults with a bachelor's degree than for those with only a high school diploma.

Adults with a degree took home an average of $45,678 per year as compared to the $24,572 average salary of those who only completed high school.

Some other highlights from the Census 2000 Supplementary Survey:

Eighty-four percent of the nation's adults age 25 and over have at least a high school diploma -- a record high, according to the Census Bureau.

The number of U.S. residents enrolled in class, from nursery school to college level, reached 72 million in 2000.

The average amount charged for college tuition, room and board for in-state students at four-year public colleges and universities rose more than 60 percent between 1989-1990 and 1998-1999.

One computer exists for every five students in elementary and secondary schools across the nation.

As of 1999, 6.3 million teachers are working in pre-school to college-level classrooms in the U.S.