Anecdotal experience is not a good way to make life decisions. You can say “might or might not” to anything at all, but it means nothing. Statistics show that, holding other factors like ability constant, a bachelor’s degree will net you $600–900 thousand extra median lifetime earnings over a high school diploma, and a graduate degree will give you an extra $1.5 million. The return is 8–13 percent per each year of higher education. It varies by course of study, school, gender, and other factors, but on average the return is very positive.