Chelsea Norstedt left Penn State University in 2014 just two semesters shy of finishing her bachelor's degree in criminology. As she explored different career paths, she had a similar figure in mind. College graduates on average earn more than those without a four-year degree — but this so-called college wage premium is shrinking. Now, bachelor's degree holders earn about 75% more over their career than those without. At the same time, Norstedt monitored listings on job sites like LinkedIn and Indeed for any higher-paying office roles that did not explicitly require a college degree.

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Persons: Chelsea Norstedt, Norstedt, Beth, Norstedt's Organizations: Penn State University, Chelsea, CNBC, College, San Francisco Federal Reserve, Penn State, Verizon Locations: Erie , Pennsylvania, Erie, Miami , Florida, Altoona , Pennsylvania, Miami, Pennsylvania, Florida, Norstedt