Importance of a College Degree

During their high school career, students may begin to question the importance of a college education. They might find themselves asking, “Why is it important to go to college?” The answer is that, more than ever, attending college provides opportunities for graduates which are not as widespread to those who have not received a higher education.

Data from the U.S Department of Labor shows that college graduates have lower rates of unemployment. The rate of unemployment with a bachelor’s degree is 2.7%, while the rate of those with a high school education is 5.2% (Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics). This depicts that those who earn a college education have a better chance at getting a job. Their data also shows that those with a college education have higher salaries. The median weekly earning for those with a college degree is $1,156 and the median weekly earnings for those with a high school education is $692. That’s a $464 a week difference and $24,128 a year difference (Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics). Not only are college graduates getting jobs and making more money, but they are also healthier and happier. Professor Phillip Trostel, reports college graduates are four times less likely than high school graduates to smoke and are more likely to exercise, wear a seat belt, be a healthy weight, and go to the doctor’s (Want to be Happy and Healthier, Merisotis, Jamie).

Nowadays, companies require at least a college degree for better income. If an employer has two candidates for an open position, he will pick the best of both the one that fills all the requirements. Also, there is a high probability that the person chosen is the one with the highest level of education. Another reason to have a college degree is to earn more money with better features and benefits. In today’s society the cost of rent, food, medical insurance, and others bills is too high. A person with a high school diploma may need to have two jobs to support its family. Nowadays, the best recommendations are to either have a business or at least have a degree this will facilitate your income. A college degree is the base to accomplish higher goals in a company. The more education an employee has the faster this person gets to move up in a company.

When it comes to embarking on post secondary education the views of it’s importance and relevance is controversial. In Murray’s Op-Ed piece, “Should The Obama Generation Drop Out”, he believes a college education is unnecessary. I, however disagree with Murray’s notion. College is necessary according to a person’s career choice and it’s requirements.

The difference in pay per year between a person with just a high school degree and a person with a college degree is $17,500. You could buy some new cars for that much money! Not only would you be wealthier, you would also be much more likely to be wiser as well. Earning a degree provides one with new knowledge and information, it teaches them how to critically think and how to solve problems. A college degree also provides a sense of well-being and importance to the world. It also helps out with communicating at your job; with both your writing and your verbal. Communication is arguably the most important thing you will receive from a college

To begin with, college is beneficial because one can earn a higher income. Five Ways Ed Pays stated that one could “ earn an average of $22,000 per year. 63% more in hourly wages.” (“Five Ways Ed Pays”). When having a job, the amount of income one gets is very important. For example, One could earn a lot of money to support their family or friends. One could use the money to donate to a charity or an orphanage. Money has a lot of value. In addition, when one goes to get a job having a college degree will help raise their income. In the article “ New School Year, Old Story: Education Pays” it stated that “ Workers with a bachelor’s degree earn 415 more a week than those with a high school diploma.” ( “New School Year, Old Story: Education Pays”).

In the first place, going to college will get one more money! Going to college will provide a higher income for those who graduate with a degree. According to “New School Year, Old Story: Education Pays,”“BLS data have shown that workers with more education have lower unemployment and higher earnings than workers with less education.” BLS states, “students who have some college education, have a weekly earnings of $712, compared to college graduates who earn more than $1038.” Overall, going to college will bring a higher income.

Additionally, a college degree allows a person to obtain more money with a stable income. White points out data from the New York Fed, “college graduates earn 80 percent more than their peers who didn’t attend, or didn’t finish, undergrad—and they’re also less likely to wind up unemployed than those who didn't go to college.” (White). Those with a college education are normally the ones that get offered promotions, while those without a college degree. For the most part, a college education often helps a graduate to stand out among other job seeking individuals that are applying for the same position. Despite how expensive it is to get a degree, the amount of

If you get a college degree, you can make more money. In source 3, Elia Powers stated, "...the expected typical earning of a four-year college graduate is $800,000 more than the expected earning of a high school graduate." This shows that college is worth it because it can provide better access to increased earnings over a lifetime. A college graduate can make a lot more money than a person that only has a high

College helps people achieve financial stability. When people get their college degrees, they earn more money. Studies from the The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce found that “individuals who only finish high school could look forward to earning about $1.3 million over their lifetime[...]associate degree holder may earn around $1.7 million and a bachelor’s degree holder, about $2.3 million.Those with advanced degrees, including master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees may earn $2.7 million, $3.3 million and $3.6 million, respectively” (Beckstead). People that don’t go to college earn less than half the salary of people that do go to college. The more college experience and degrees people have, the better the chances of making more money. Data collected from a report by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association showed that “high school graduates earn an average of almost $30,000 per year. Bachelor’s graduates earn an average of just over $50,000 a year. And those with a higher level degree (master’s, doctorate or professional) average nearly $70,000 per year” (Benefits of Earning a College Degree). While the amount of money people earn differentiates from the career path that is chosen, it is statistically proven that people get more money when they have a college degree. According to a chart from the Economic Policy Institute from years 2007-2014,

First, a college education is valuable because one can have better wealth In the video, Five ways Ed pays, “graduates earn 63% more money per hour” (“Five ways Ed pays”). Getting 63% more money per hour is a lot of money. Someone can earn more money for his/her family. College graduates also earn an average of $22,000 more per year (“Five ways Ed pays”). To summarize, college grads make more money than the people who don’t go to school.

INTRO: How necessary is a college education? College is now a day’s looked at as a synonym for success (Doyne), while a diploma wasn’t a piece of paper but it was an amulet (Doyne).

College degrees are important when it comes to your future and the success you will have. Whether it's a requirement for a job, or just a way to get a boost in your current salary. A college degree with help advance you further in life.

One benefit of a college degree is that you have a better chance of getting a job. In the article Education Strong Determinant Hannah Halbert states that “Without an educated and well-trained labor pool the state will struggle to attract and retain those employers who can offer the best jobs.” This means that people without a degree have less of a chance to keep and even get a job over people with a college degree. A college degree is a certificate from a college that you earn based on your education level that helps you get a job. Another detail also from Education Strong Determinant is, “Even without a degree, the days of graduating

Higher education plays an important role in our society. People with a college degree make more money on average than individuals without one according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. These statistics also show that workers with only a college degree earned a median of $57,770 in 2012 compared with $27,670 for workers with only a high school diploma. According to these statistics a higher education is a great investment in our future (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).