Misleading visuals frequently use scaling or dimensions to present a technically true but misleading summary of data. Data can be presented to mislead in more sophisticated ways as well. Look at the visual below, which presents private university costs and median starting salaries. What does the graph tell you? Is it misleading? If so, how?

median earnings of four year graduate total cost of private four 200,000- year college degree 150,000- Mean 100,000- 50,000- 2007- 2008- 2009- 2010- 2011- 2012- 2013- 2014-2015- 2016- 2017- 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 time period covered