Argumentative Essay: Is College Worth The Financial Investment?

For years adults have been questioning whether or not college is worth its cost. Over time the price for college has increased drastically and the potential income of a college graduate is barely following that trend. As colleges become more wealthy and powerful, they’re too pricy for someone to afford without help and debt.

Achieving a college degree is worth the time and effort as well as the financial struggle because there is more to be gained besides context knowledge. College is something that has dropped in importance as less and less people attend every year. These students are unsure as to whether it is worth it.Parents push their kids towards college and some even tell them not to go because of financial problems. This pressure students to make a life changing decision. This is all things that may keep a student from a secondary education that could kick-start a new and better life.

The U.S. is home to some of the greatest colleges and universities in the world. But with an overwhelming 1.3 million students graduating with an average student loan debt of $29,000 each and with youth unemployment elevated, the question of whether or not college tuition is worth the money arises (The Institute for College Access & Success, 2013). Higher education faces intimidating challenges: continually rising costs, access and completion problems, constant changing of technology, and responsibility pressures from state and federal officials. But no challenge is more intimidating than the fundamental question that many Americans face to ask themselves, "Is college worth the cost?" As a result of the economic turn down, many students who graduate are not finding well-paying jobs, either within their field of study or not.

College is where you go to get higher sources of education. Many high school students dream of attending college in order to attain more knowledge, yet so many people fail to realize the cost of college. Attending college, currently, is nearly impossible to do without being in some sort of financial debt or seeking out government help. According to the American Association of University Professors, “two-thirds of American college students graduate with substantial debt, averaging nearly $30,000 (if one includes charge cards) in 2008 and rising.” (AAUP, 2012) Although going to college is beneficial, there is an argument on whether or not going to college is worth the possible debt incurred. The goal

With the recovery from the Great Recession the labor market has refueled the controversial debate about the value of a college degree. Is a college degree worth the amount of debt that will compile over four or more years of higher education? Even though an individual who obtains a college degree has an unemployment rate below the national average, there is evidence that many recent college graduates are struggling to find acceptable and well paying jobs. At the same time, college tuition is steadily rising, while college graduates are finding themselves without employment and swimming in a substantial amount debt from student loans.

With 19.9 million students and $33,000 in debt on average in 2013 and 2014, the worth of a college education is becoming a huge debate. College has always been known as the next step after high school. It’s what most people look forward to for their whole school career. Now some colleges are so prestigious people make it their dream to get in. Not only do students need to worry about getting in but now they also have to worry about the prices. College prices are higher than they have ever been and they are increasing exponentially. The amount of student debt is also increasing vastly. Although student debt is a lot to pay off, college is worth the experience, connections, and opportunity.

The average college student will graduate with 37,173 dollars’ worth of debt and 40 percent of college students will drop out. (Cite should everyone go to college) Despite this, higher education typically allows an individual to follow their passion and make a living off it. In addition, college provides an intrinsic value that enlightens the individual. Although higher education requires a large investment that may not return its original value, I contend that this investment provides one the ability to typically earn significantly more money and pursue their passion.

It is very expensive for many people to attend college/university these days – it is a nightmare. Upon graduation, many students would have accrued a huge debt. Thus, some students struggle with loan repayment because their income is not enough to sustain a living. However, the leadership of public institutions claims that their education is affordable. Yet, parents are heavily investing in their children’s future education. In this discussion, facts and opinions from many sources will be critically analyzed to determine whether college is expensive or not expensive.

The college experience has gone through a rather drastic metamorphosis the last couple of decades. Gone are the days, about five decades past, when attaining an associate degree could almost promise a very pleasant employment. College was therefore the place to be and a college degree was something you impatiently looked forward to. At the moment, to earn a decent living wage, you have to obtain at least a bachelor degree. Regrettably, it is becoming increasingly hard to go through college with all its financial burdens. Fees have risen astronomically to levels unmatched in recent memory with no sign of scaling down or any meaningful substantive sustainable federal intervention program.

College is an affordable venture that can be achieved by most students. There exist many ways for students to reduce the amount of money they pay and loans they take out. Senator Lamar Alexander, chairman of the Senate’s education committee, expresses this in an article for the Wall Street Journal, “College too Expensive? That’s a Myth.” According to the article, in 2013, states ran $11.2 billion worth of financial aid plans for public four-year colleges (Alexander 3). Furthermore, private institutions with higher “sticker prices” such as Georgetown University tend to utilize substantial financial endowments to the school for financial aid. Using Georgetown as an example, Alexander explains that a combination of work-study and a reduced amount of loans allows Georgetown to cover the rest of expenses and ultimately increase the affordability of attendance (Alexander 5-6). Horror stories of $100,000 student debts represent a mere 4% of all student loans, and of that 4%, 90% are graduate students who decided to advance their education even further. Regardless of how expensive it is to attend in the first place, the question remains, is college financially “worth it”? According to U.S. Census Bureau in 2010, it is indeed worth it, as college graduates were reported to

Zoom! Zoom! Zoom! That’s the sound of one's high school years passing them by, each year seemingly quicker than the last. Freshman Stride around school without a care in the world, and some who think they have no responsibilities. The next thing they know, first quarter is almost over and they Finally notice the indie 500 that is happening around them. A college education is valuable because one may have better wealth, better security, and who would want to miss out on those crazy social gatherings everyone is talking about?

The fact that college students fight to find jobs in their fields, and get jobs they are overqualified for raises the question for many high school students. Is a college education worth it?

Given the huge rise in college tuition, a commonly asked question by college students is whether a college degree is really worth the cost. Most will graduate with debt from loans and ponder if a degree will actually make a significant amount of difference in future earnings versus those with a high school diploma. There are many considerations in acquiring a college education: what to major in, what colleges offer that major, can I afford it, will loans or scholarships be available, will I have to relocate, and, for some, will being away from home be too stressful. A college degree isn 't just a piece of paper that will be handed to the graduates. It requires enormous hard work and sacrifice, but once earned, the student will come to realize it will be the most expensive piece of paper he or she will ever own. Despite the rising cost of a college degree, according to an article written by Kyla Calvert on PBS Newshour, 39.4% of Americans in 2012 between the ages 25 and 64 had at least a two-year degree. That was an increase in 2011 from 38.7%, the highest gain since 2008(Calvert para. 2). It is a general consensus among college graduates that regardless of the price tag and huge debt they incur, a degree is worthwhile and beneficial to a successful future. Attending a college or university for many meant overcoming numerous obstacles such as: securing the finances needed, uprooting their family and finding adequate/safe housing. Many

As of two years ago, which was 2016, college graduates earned an average of $1,341 more per week than those without a college degree. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also found that the unemployment rate of those with a bachelor’s degree is roughly half the rate of those without higher education experience. That rate drops to less than 2.5

Main: Many attributes can be found with obtaining a college degree ,however only some have the opportunity to receive a higher education and benefit from investing in their education