In the best-case scenario, it takes over twelve years in Italy for a university degree to “pay for itself.” For students who study away from home, that timeline stretches beyond fourteen years. There’s no doubt that a college degree holds financial value—it does translate into better pay.

A recent report shows that non-graduates earn an average gross salary of €30,278 per year, while graduates make €43,268. Still, the return on education in Italy is lower than in many other countries. According to the OECD, those with a university-level education earn, on average, 38% more than people with only a high school diploma—18 points below the European average.