You didn't answer my question and obviously didn't even read the abstract that Bostonian posted. Is avoiding the issue an old teacher trick that you use?
Not reading the abstract isn't so much a teacher trick as a time management trick when you have something more important to do. It's also called "avoiding procrastination" or "prioritization". So, Val, can we safely assume you read the entire Pew Report instead of skimming it as I did?
These certifications we are talking about as an alternative to college are not "college"? I do believe they would be included in the Pew report as "some college". Perhaps I misunderstand.
There are always specialties that are more in demand than others. A good ultrasound tech can make $80K with an associate degree, but that doesn't mean that everybody with a two-degree is going to make $80K. They will, on average, make more than a high-school graduate, but are less likely to be satisfied with their jobs. Perhaps this is because, like me, they have unfulfilled aspirations.