How does 含金量非常得高 work?

Question

学历教育与非学历教育的区别是学历教育的社会认可度比较高，一般来说在学校进行的全日制的教育方式以及成人继续教育这种国家发放学历证书的就是学历教育，其毕业的时候所获得的毕业证书和学位证书在现在的社会上认可度更高，在放到什么地方都能适用的，这也是很多人在接受教育的时候愿意选择的教育方式，含金量非常得高。
_{学历教育与非学历教育的区别是什么, Beiwai Online, 2018.}

The above-mentioned article explains the difference between 学历教育 and 非学历教育. I think I get the gist of what 含金量非常得高 means: it's something like "more financially rewarding", but it uses the term 含金 = "metal bearing (ore) / gold bearing" seemingly metaphorically, and a grammar structure 非常得高 which I feel would be marked wrong if I wrote that (instead of 非常高) on my exam.

Question: How does 含金量非常得高 work?

Answer 1

含金量 originally refers to the percentage of gold an object contains. It's now mainly figuratively used to refer to the inner quality or value of something (比喻事物所包含的实际价值). So here it is not about "more financially rewarding", but says it is of higher quality or inner value.

非常得高 is wrong. There are many regions where people don't distinguish 的地得 in their local dialects. That's why these three are often misused on the internet. But the current standard of their differentiation is still strict. However, in this very case, whether we should use 的 or 地 is still scholarly debated. One school think that after 状语 we should always use 地 (except some idiomatic usages like 真的). Another school agrees partially, namely that after 状语 if the head word is a verb, we should always use 地, but if the head word is adjective then 的 is possible, especially when the 状语 is a 程度副词, like 非常. A third school support the mixed usage of 的 and 地 in general.

That being said, wide usage of 的/地 is a recent phenomenon heavily influenced by European languages. Inherently in a lot of places the Chinese language doesn't need it. In formal or official documents, in these places de will not be used.

You are right that 非常高 is the most correct form. But if the author really wants to use a de, it should be 的/地. 得 is certainly wrong.

Answer 2

含金量非常[之]高 means "substantial"

Gold is:

• Heavy; solid --> "substantial"

• valuable --> of worth --> trustworthy

Gold itself is quite soft among heavy metals, therefore, it needs to mix in with other metals to make it firm enough to be coins or bars for circulation. The higher ratio of gold in a coin makes the coin more valuable and substantial. It is used as a metaphor for things that are substantial, of value, or trustworthy

A Gold medal earned by defeating the top 3 players in the world is more substantial (worth/ weight more) than one earned by the opponent forfeiting

A degree from a famous university is more substantial (worth/ weight more) than one from an unknown school

Answer 3

含X量 is a fixed form of expression, which means how much XX is in it. 含水量 is water content or moisture content, and 含金量 is gold content.

People use 含金量 to express value, similarly, in informal language, people use 含水量 to express the "volume of useless information" (something like that, I can't find a precise translation) of an article or post.

And there is an Internet slang, 含妈量, You may see someone comment on a post or video: 含妈量极高, which means there are a lot of swear words in it. Many curses include the character 妈.