College Degrees Keep the Doctor Away

By Alcalde Staff in July | August 2012 on July 9, 2012 at 5:39 pm | No Comments

Everyone knows that a college degree can help you get a better job. But what about lengthening your life?

Jennifer Karas Montez, PhD ’11, and UT sociologists Robert Hummer and Mark Hayward are finding that people with more than 12 years of education are much likelier to live longer than less-educated peers.

Education is an even better predictor than income, Hummer says. “More income is better for longevity to a certain point, and then it flattens out,” he explains. “That’s not true for education—the more the better.”