But when it comes to earning power, a degree isn't what it was. That average salary is just 79.7 per cent of average weekly earnings, the second lowest since the series started in 1977. The lowest, in case you're wondering, was 79.6 percent in 1995.

Predictably, the highest starting salaries are still to be found in dentistry ($68,000), optometry ($51,200) and medicine ($48,000). {moscomment}