Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission? Essay examples

In society today, a college education is often seen as a “the next step” in a young adult’s life. Whether they actually know what they would like to earn a degree in, they feel the need to continue their education as almost everyone around them is pursuing post-secondary education of some sort. It is often argued that a college education is not necessary to get ahead because of the manufacture based workforce that is up and coming in America, however, there are many benefits to having a post-secondary education such as a higher rate of pay and more job opportunities.

Many young people think that obtaining a college degree is the best way—perhaps the only way—to get a good job anymore. So is it still possible to get a good job without one? According to Professor Blanche D. Blank, attaining a college degree doesn’t always guarantee success. In his published article “Degrees: Who Needs Them?”, he argues that American college is not teaching young adults the actual skills they need for the workforce, instead the education system is becoming a jumble of generalized credits that amount to a degree. College is becoming a mold for one to fit in the technological culture, rather than to release one to actively engage in the pursuit of knowledge. Blank begins building his credibility with personal experiences and

In the essay “College Value Goes Deeper Than the Degree” author Eric Hoover claims a college education is important to one 's well-being so they can get a job and be productive in other parts of life. Promoters of higher education have long emphasized how beneficial college’s value and its purpose. Many believe the notion that colleges teach students are life skills to apply anywhere, they also work hard to earn a degree and learn specific marketable skills which they can use to get a good job. Though obtaining a college education and a degree is helpful in countless of ways, it is not necessary to pursue a college degree in world where a college degree is seen different now, people without turn out fine, the growing average of debt that students who attend college have to pay off and people without a degree can obtain many jobs that do not require college degrees.

Preparing for College after graduating from high school is considered to be as one of the most thought by students. Even so, most students nowadays are uncertain whether attending college will be a good advantage for them. Some believe that it is a waste of time and money, but most people consider it as a reason to thrive in life. Unlike High school, College is certainly different because it determines your future and should be taken more earnestly by the students. College education is a worth of cost because it basically provides students with great benefits, which can be a good help in shaping their future goals.

Higher education has been known by many Americans as a luxury for only those who can afford it if not being forever in debt with student loans. The price of higher education has been in debate for many years but it still has not ceased to come into an agreement. Should higher education lower its price or is it worth paying for it? As Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus argue in their article “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission?” there are colleges worth mentioning about how successful their financial management has been correlated with their students success. The issue has also come into attention for Sanford J. Ungar, as he explains in his article “The New Liberal Arts,” although liberal arts education may be have its misconceptions, it does pay for its price. Hence, higher education (whether from a regular university or a liberal arts college) is worth the price, as it prepares individuals for the real world more than any other kind of education, it is an unique time were students are allowed to explore and put their abilities into test and it is the opportunity for many to overcome the many obstacles life has to offer.

There is no escaping the fact that the cost of college tuition continues to rise in the United States each year. To make it worse, having a college degree is no longer an option, but a requirement in today’s society. According to data gathered by the College Board, total costs at public four-year institutions rose more rapidly between 2003-04 and 2013-14 than they did during either of the two preceding decades (Collegeboard.com). Students are pressured to continue into higher education but yet, the increasing costs of books and tuition make us think about twice. Sometimes, some of these students have to leave with their education partially finished, leaving them with crushing debts. It is important to find the means to prevent these

A major problem for today’s high school graduates is the rising price in college education. Attending college can add up really fast; it can cost up to tens of thousands of dollars per year (Barkan 1). No wonder, in Steven Barkan’s book of social problems, issues and problems in higher education take up a full chapter. In this chapter, Barkan states that only 44% of all students who attend a four-year institution is lucky enough to have annual tuitions and fees amount to less than $9,000 per year. The aggravating question is, “why does college cost so much?” Not only is tuition part of the cost of college but also fees housing and meals, books, school supplies, and accessories (“What’s the Price Tag” 1). All tuition covers is the money for academic instruction. Fees are charges for specific services such as, internet access, and then the cost of books and school supplies add up. Additionally, one is not paying just for textbooks but also

Nearly every day, it seems that we as students are lectured to about the necessity of a college education. It seems that without a proper, costly university experience, we would be unable to lead a fulfilling and successful life. Despite the years of one’s life it takes up and the financial toll of the tuition, we’re told that it’s worth every second and every penny. However, we also learn about those who have been confined by outstanding student loan debt and have had little to no success after graduation. We’ve been confounded for a long time with the same question: is college worth the cost? As a society, we are unable to unite upon a reasonable response to this question. So, should we answer it?

Should students who are pursuing or are within higher education be expected to receive students loans solely for college payments? If so, then, will students definitively benefit in college classes and nonetheless feel satisfaction in knowing their money is being used properly? The answer may be difficult to determine and especially understand, but the answer is nonetheless related to whether graduated students have acceptable methods of payment for education. In fact, the authors of “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission” in They Say, I Say, Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus, argue that college leaders are becoming more inclined to encourage student loans and tuition charges rather than being concerned or dedicated with their role in challenging and educating. However, Hacker and Dreifus propose multiple changes colleges can implement to reduce the possibility of students loans and debt after graduation.

Throughout the years, America has always debated whether education is needed- if it helps people succeed or not. The argument in the past was always over high school education, which is now mandatory. That decision has helped the US rise economically and industrially. Today, the US is in the middle of the same debate- this time, over college. Some, like David Leonhardt, a columnist for the business section of The New York Times, think a college education creates success in any job. Others, such as Christopher Beha, an author and assistant editor of Harper’s Magazine, believe that some college “education” (like that of for-profit schools) is a waste of time, and can even be harmful to students. Each stance on this argument has truth to it,

In her essay, Chen states a few problems that can hardly be argued with: college is far too expensive and professors are paid much too little. She focuses mostly on adjuncts, or part-time professors, as it is in this area that many of the problems reside. She writes, “With student debt and tuitions both ballooning across the country, a college degree is in many ways more expensive - or overvalued - today than ever.” Unfortunately, she fails to provide in-depth analysis on why college is so costly to begin with. It is because of this shortcoming that Chen’s work is much weaker as a whole. Firstly, her title becomes misleading, and makes her a possibly untrustworthy source. Secondly, her failure to acknowledge the reasons why college is so expensive cuts off an entire possibility of solutions. Addressing where all this money is being spent could provide an easier and stronger solution than the one Chen provides.

American universities were poised to welcome millions of young adults who headed off to institutions for higher learning this fall. It is engrained in today’s society that a college degree is imperative to students preparing to enter the American work force. However, despite earning a college degree “83 percent of college seniors graduated without a job this spring” (is your student prepared for life?). It is an alarming reality for college graduates, the fact that upon graduating, positions are often part time, low wage, or unrelated to their college degree or career interests. In his article, Is Your Student Prepared for Life? Ben Carpenter suggests that in order to be certain that college students are prepared for life post- graduation: “colleges need to create, and require for graduation, a

Fifty years after World War II, higher education in the United States “triumphed” (Lazerson). Higher education was given a substantial amount of money from federal and state governments, which resulted in the realization of the societal benefits of equal educational opportunities (Lazerson). Similarly to today’s society, families reached into their savings accounts and went into debt so that their children could attend college (Lazerson). For the majority of Americans, college was the “route upward”, the route in which was going to make them achieve The American Dream. Jobs that were looking to become prestigious, began requiring higher education, which made it more difficult to obtain a reputable job without it (Lazerson). Although we are living in an era of “opportunity”, higher education is still more of a necessity, rather than a chance to succeed.

In Robert E. Sullivan, Jr.’s “Greatly Reduced Expectations”, Sullivan discusses the lack of employment available to college graduates. Throughout the essay, testimonials are given by four college graduates who expected more opportunity when they graduated with a four year degree. I sympathize with these men and women who are working in jobs that do promote their ability.

Twenty-one million students are anticipated to attend some sort of higher education (Barrow et al.). And tuition costs are reaching all-time highs; about high as the salary an average American makes in a year (Kay 36). This is a drastic change in the higher education system in America. Colleges used to be mainly religious institutions hundreds of years ago and were based on moral training and proper conduct. Overall, making better people for society. In the present day, American colleges are helping aid students in getting jobs while building up the student’s values. Many have pondered over if the value of higher education that is taught is worth the price being paid. Some have said that the costs are too high for anyone besides the upper class, but people are still enrolling with increased rates each year. Higher education is worth the price because it provides lifelong benefits to the people who graduate with a degree. People who obtain a degree attain life skills that everyone should learn, get paid more money in their lifetime, and gain a quality education.