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Education boosts confidence, control and salaries. However, higher degrees can also raise the risk of stress, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Toronto found that while higher education increases a person's sense of "personal mastery" or feeling of being in control, it can also raise the risk of job pressure, work burden and work-to-family conflict. Researchers said this is interesting because these three factors actually decreases mastery.

The latest study used material from the Canadian Work, Stress, and Health Study (CANWSH), a national sample of Canadian workers. Participants were asked to indicate how much they agree or disagree with statements like: "You have little control over the things that happen to you" and "You often feel helpless in dealing with problems of life."

The latest findings support previous studies that show that university graduates in Canada report the highest sense of mastery. This could be because they are more likely to make above-average salaries and less likely to experience financial difficulties.

"Were it not for the fact that highly educated individuals report more job demands and conflict between work and family roles they would have even higher levels of mastery," study author Professor Scott Schieman, Canada Research Chair in the Social Contexts of Health said in a news release. "While education is extremely critical for mastery, higher educational attainment also appears to introduce stressors that can dampen the psychological benefits."

"We also learned that workers who experience excessive on-the-job pressure feel less in control of their lives, primarily due to the conflict triggered between work and personal or family life," he added. "In fact, stress in the work-family interface poses the biggest threat to Canadians' sense of mastery."