A university degree may do more than help you earn more at your job (or just find you a job in the first place) — a new study suggests it could also be linked with better health.
The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, shows that earning a bachelor’s degree before reaching the age of 25 is linked with having fewer symptoms of depression and having a higher self-rating of health, compared with people who don’t have a university degree before 25.
The effect also held true for people who attained an associate’s degree (certificate/diploma) before reaching age 25 and who later went on to receive a bachelor’s degree, according to the study.
The study was based on data from 7,179 people who participated in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth in 1979. The people in the study were between ages 14 and 21.
According to the College Board’s Education Pays report, university graduates also have lower smoking rates than people without a university degree. People with university degrees are also more likely to report regularly exercising — 63 percent of university grads report participating in “vigorous exercise” once a week or more, compared with 37 percent of people in the same age group who had matric but no university degrees.
If you haven’t got your education started before 25 don’t worry – as long as you plan to get there someday, somehow. If finances are holding you back visit our Bursaries section here.
Article adpated from Huffington Post