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While plenty of people who know how to work hard do well with just a high-school education, a college diploma can improve your quality of life even more. Almost everyone has heard the statistics that say over the course of the average life, a college-educated person makes a few hundred thousand dollars more than someone without a degree, but there are even more reasons to attend an institution of higher learning.

Did you know that college graduates are also less likely to commit a serious crime, get a divorce, or develop a life-long substance abuse problem? While there certainly are exceptions to the rule, the statistics show a distinct trend away from these troubling situations. It appears that the type of person that would complete a degree program has better impulse control and better logical skills than someone who isn’t interested in bettering themselves. Of course, this is still a general statement. Plenty of people do well in life, but simply can’t manage college due to finances or other problems.

Many also say that the reason college graduates avoid drugs and prison while maintaining more stable relationships is purely financial. These people think that more money equals more stability at all levels. In many cases this is true, but it may not show the entire picture. However, the numbers don’t lie, and they certainly give parents one more reason to tell their children to do well in grammar and high school so that they can get into a good college.