The Value of Higher Education

When it comes to the topic of attaining a college degree, most will readily agree that it is essential to securing a successful career post-graduation. Whereas some are convinced that a college degree does not guarantee entry into a career in one 's field of study nor does it determine success in one 's career, others maintain that a higher education is, in fact, the way to job security and financial success. What comes into question is whether the investment in a college education is truly worth it or not in order to accomplish a student 's goals of success. I think it could be said for most prospective college students that the reason for going to college is to gain the credentials required for most jobs today. What many of those potential students may not realize is the substantial percentage of graduates who do not acquire a job related to their majors, how much debt they will incur, and just how many students don 't graduate at all for reasons such as an overwhelming workload and a poor work/ life balance.

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).

I will discuss what the value of a college education means to me. A higher education will give me many physical benefits such as economic stability, a better quality of life for my family, more career choices, better job security, set a good example for my children at the same time, a college education will also give me many intangible benefits such as boosting my self-confidence, helping me to learn specialized knowledge, thinking critically, bringing me in contact with different people, learning better communication skill and being part of a team. It is something that will serve me well throughout my career and life. So, what is the value of college education to me? After I sat down and took some time to carefully consider what a college

David Leonhardt in his article “Is College Really Worth It? Clearly New Data Say” goes over the biggest negatives of college that deter students and even returning adults from receiving a higher education and earning a degree. He talks about the struggles of finding work after college and the accumulated student debt. Daivd Leonhardt points out that “Americans with four-year college degrees made 98% more an hour on average in 2013 than people without a degree.” (Leonhardt). Which shows that as much as college costs, you get that back multiple times over after graduation and after you are employed. The stress and struggles that undergraduates face such as deciding a major, the issue of time commitment and large financial sacrifices are worth

As the competition to get a decent job is increasing, it is close to impossible to obtain a high paying job without at least a bachelor's degree. Many jobs that only used to want their workers to have a high school diploma now require some college education due to their extremely complicated nature.

College graduates, on average, make a whopping one million dollars more in lifetime earnings than those with a high school diploma. Those with a college degree now make $17,500 more per year than those without — a wage gap that's doubled in recent decades. Those without a degree are four times more likely to be unemployed.One of the biggest and most important reasons for anyone to attend college is the upper hand it gives with regards to jobs and career. A college graduate has a higher chance of landing a job when compared to an individual with a high school qualification. Further, a college graduate also has better options and opportunities to progress in their

    Having a college degree can prove job security to those wanting to secure their position at their job such as when the economy was dropping. In the essay, "Why Those Student Loans Are Still Worth It" by author Elaine Pofeldt explains how going to college is worth all the loans a student receives. Pofeldt states "Researchers found that, though those from 21 through 24 saw dips in employment and wages during the recession, those with college degrees fared better during the downturn and afterward," meaning having a college degree is helpful when things become bad (226). Those with higher degrees will have a more secure position. An article online titled “College Education - ProCon,” list pros and cons of college degrees. College Education - ProCon mentioned how those who don’t a degree are more likely to become unemployed and go through financial strain (college-education.procon.org). During the recession, my aunt went through a financial strain. She eventually decided to go back to college and get her degree in nursing. Now, she has a secure

Some of the most incredible advancements the human race have made have been in the past century. We have sent men to the moon, improved communication systems, and made the largest technological advancements since the invention of the wheel. In 1946, the first official computer, named ENIAC, was made. It weighed 100,000 pounds, and all it was used for were various calculations. That was only 69 years ago, but now computers can be found everywhere in developed nations. In less than one decade, we have progressed from a 100,000 pound computer to handheld computers that weigh less a pound and can be used for numerous different tasks. It is crazy to think that the simple luxuries that our generation have become accustom to were not normal for our parents or grandparents. An increase in education is the reason we have been able to progress in such an accelerated way. The value of a college education lies in its ability to allow individuals to grow academically, by expanding their knowledge of various subjects, and socially, by being exposed to many different characters and beliefs. These skills ensure that they will have a better future because they will be advancing faster than those who chose other paths. A four year college education, although not for everyone, can push young adults in the right direction.

Nowadays, we are always bombarded with the constant studies that show the economic benefits of going to college. For example, one study suggests that the average earnings gap for a high school graduate and someone with a bachelor’s degree working full time is about $15,000 (Owen and Isabel 210). But, all these sources only focus on the economic benefits and they make it seem that the only way to succeed. However, they don’t mention as much the possible negatives and that it might not be for everyone. The biggest obstacle, especially for the lower class students is the high cost of tuition. Which has caused student loan debt to become the second highest form of debt in the U.S, surpassed only by mortgage debt (Owen and Sawhill 212). Even if the student figures that out then there’s the problem of finishing school. Studies show fewer than 60% of students finish their 4-year degree within 6 years, if they finish at all (Owen and Sawhill 218). Then for those who do obtain their degree there’s the

Did you know that getting a college degree can financially destroy your future and put you deep in debt for many years? Not going to college can literally give you a brighter future than going in the first place. Also, most college’s cost way too much and people have to get thousands and thousands of dollars’ worth of loans just to get their bachelor’s degree. Many of the people that just get their diploma have become very successful in life, in some cases even more successful than people with their degrees.

Studies suggest that fifty percent or more of new jobs that will appear in the upcoming decades will require their employees to have a postsecondary education (America’s Promise). However, the rising price of a college education is preventing many students from achieving their goal. This only adds to the number of unemployed young adults and the number of Americans living in property. People always say if you’re tired of being poor then do something about it but it is not as simple as it used to be. In the past thirty years the cost of getting a college degree has increase by 1,120 percent (Mosbergn). Not only that, but if you do manage to get a degree after you graduate you are often left paying off student loan debt. As of 2013, the amount of student loan debt to be paid off has surpassed one trillion dollars. Another reason why many student opt out of going to college is because they believe it is a waste of time. While that may not be the case for all students a recent poll showed that forty percent of college graduates are unemployed and left struggling to pay off a student loan alone with no job

That doesn’t mean it’s always in someone’s best interest to go to college. “By telling all young people that they should go to college no matter what, we are actually doing them a disservice,” wrote Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill in “Should Everyone Go to College?” (Downey N. pag.). You should always consider your intended occupation. A degree doesn’t always promise to make you more money than if you only had a high school education. Recognizing tuition cost is out pacing inflation, you have to make sure your degree is worth the time, money, and effort you’re about to put into it. ‘’With fast-rising tuitions and stagnant wages, fewer of us are immune from borrowing to pay for our university education. And delaying or forgoing college while we save is a difficult option: according to the Center for American Progress, weekly earnings for workers with a bachelor’s degree were $1,066 in 2012, compared to $652 for workers with a high school diploma. Those without a degree are nearly twice as likely to be unemployed. For many, going to college, then, is simultaneously a rational economic choice and an economic disaster’’ (Clark N. pag.). Often if a four-year degree isn’t right for someone they might try a different, cheaper route such as; training certification, a trade school, or online courses (Downey N.

     It seems in the society we live in today, having a college degree is a necessity. Years ago it was the norm for people to just go right into a full time job after high school, if they even finished high school; they did this to support their families. In today’s society a person has a difficult time getting a decent job without a college degree. During an adults working life, bachelor degree graduates will earn about $2.1 million and a high school graduate can expect to earn an average of $1.2 million (Day and Newburger, 2002). This is quite a difference and it puts a college education in

In present day, it is expected that after high school students continue their education to college. Therefore, it is no surprise to say that most students follow the pedigree, making a bachelor’s degree dilute to the value of a high school diploma. Yes, it is great that you obtained a bachelor’s degree, but it doesn’t differentiate you from the other hundred people who apply for the job position. Now, advanced degrees like masters and doctorates are what count. Not only does it [bachelor’s degree] not give you a better chance at an entry-level job, but also, the majority of college graduates are swimming in a pool of debt. So in the end, after all those years of studying, the dollars in debt and the chance of not even getting a job in

A four-year degree costs students “more than $19,000” (Stieger), and in this day and age it is nearly impossible to survive with only a high school education; being well qualified for a specific career position is very important to employers. George Leef, author of “Why on Earth Do We Have a ‘Student Loan Crisis’?,” says it best when he states that “college graduates are somewhat more reliable and easily trained than people with only high school diplomas … if there is a large enough number of [people] with college degrees, employers don’t have to bother with people who don’t have them” (Leef 29). That being said, I wonder how young people are expected to obtain some sort of degree, when higher education is nearly impossible for some families to afford. Although very significant changes have been made by our government offering improved financial aid to current and future students, more can still be done. Our politicians could increase the Pell Grant maximum to coincide with rising tuition costs, increase taxes on irrelevant goods and services to provide students with more direct funding, set up a “reward system” that would place more responsibility on the students (rather than themselves), and most importantly, our two main parties in office need to agree on specific changes.