What an excellent question.

In the past, a college degree was an investment people made to guarantee a prosperous future. Today, folks aren’t so sure.

Saranya Kapur of Forbes puts it out there.

Is Your College Degree Worth It? Find Out

College has never been more expensive to attend. Now you can check if your degree is worth the cost.

As the number of students enrolling in college has increased, college costs have climbed as well. Between 2000 and 2011, the average cost of attending a private, not-for-profit, four year degree granting program increased over 37%, including tuition, room and board.

Your parents might think it’s worth it and the US Census Bureau data seems to agree. According to statistics released last week, college grads in 2011 (the most recent data available) made $42,822 annually, while those with just high school GEDs made just $23,528. That’s an 82% jump for four years of what many call the ‘best years’ of their life.

Which brings us back to the question- is college really worth it? 29-year old University of Arkansas grad Jared Moore and his website, CollegeRiskreport.com, attempt to answer that very question. How it works: you feed in your degree and the institution you want to attend. The website then generates a handy report that tells you how long it would take to pay off a four-year degree compared to getting a 2-year associate’s degree or a high school degree, assuming that you ended up working in the field that you majored in.

Click the link below to see related charts.