Everyone knows a college degree is good for your intellect, social skills, and most likely, your employment options. But can it really make your heart healthier, too?

That's what a recent study is claiming. Apparently, increased education correlates with lower levels of coronary artery calcium, a substance that can lead to atherosclerosis and often, death.

Many studies have documented that education is inversely associated with a wide array of clinical disease outcomes and death, and this relationship between education and cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease in particular is among the most consistent and pronounced, according to background information in the article.

Those participants with a high school education or less were four times more likely to have these calcium deposits, compared to their college-educated counterparts. That's quite a difference!

What do you think? Is there a direct relation, or might it be that people with college degrees often find better jobs that include better health insurance? Or is there some sort of intriguing physiological connection?

Well, if it is true, you may be paying off your Student Loans for the rest of your life, but at least you'll have a longer time to do it.