Education and Health Outcomes

Obtaining a bachelor's degree as an adult is linked with fewer mental health problems and reduced substance use compared to those who do not have a bachelor's degree. Moreover, individuals without financial hardship who earn a bachelor's degree have a lower risk of metabolic syndrome and exhibit a less pro-inflammatory phenotype in adulthood. However, for individuals who experienced financial hardship in their teenage years, obtaining a bachelor's degree is associated with a higher risk of metabolic syndrome as adults. These results are consistent even after considering earlier health measures in adolescence.