In society today, education and pursuing a college education is stressed to kids today like never before. It’s almost impossible to escape the idea that college is the best option, from commercials, parents, and teachers it’s drilled into their minds constantly. It’s now a common belief that the American dream is unattainable without the completion of college. The truth is, these days it almost is unattainable without a degree, trying to get a job interview or a high paying salary in this job market without higher education is nearly impossible. A college degree is now more important than ever.
When choosing to enroll, many fear leaving school with quite a bit of debt, which brings up a several concerns regarding if the degree is really worth it or will that big investment really pay off? The answer to that really lies in where one goes to school and what for, but overall, the success of accomplishing the goal of a degree leaves one far ahead of those who opt for just a high school education. Not all schools are the same, the more selective the school the more salary after graduation, but even the lowest earning degrees from a university still out earn a diploma. This is shown to be true in Mark Schneider’s Baccalaureate and Beyond survey. The point of the survey was to find the lifetime earnings for bachelor’s degrees by type of institution. He found that those who attended more selective schools had three times the lifetime earnings premium of those who received a degree
Colleges are everywhere—they are advertised middle and high schools, television ads show people satisfied with their college experiences, and parents ask their children what school they want to go to. In today’s society, college is expected for many, a necessity for others. People are told the only way to further a country is to educate. With tuition being a part of college, many question if college is worth all the money when there are jobs that only require a high school education. Despite the cost of tuition, a college degree is worth the time and effort—people with degrees experience lower rates of unemployment, more job opportunities in skilled fields, and greater personal gain. Though there are other factors in determining whether college is worth it, these are huge factors in whether the time and money is worth spending.
Recent high school students are debating whether to or not attend college, should consider the benefits of attaining a college degree. For many low or middle income students, this a route to gain opportunities to improve their economic circumstances. An article, “Pathways to Prosperity,” states in 2008, workers with bachelor's degree make about 65 percent higher than high school graduates and workers with associate's degree make about 73 percent more than high school dropouts.. This is evidence obtaining a college degree can be an opportunity to have earnings higher and significantly increase one's income.
It has been a heavily debated topic over whether college is worth it or not. In “College’s Value,” college professor Eric Hoover explains his studies of college degrees and concludes that attending college has greater benefits than we expect. Nowadays, when families think of college, they think about the amount of financial burden instead of what they will gain from attending. In this article, Hoover states, “Yet the perceived benefits of attending college go well beyond the dollars” (Hoover 1). He writes how diplomas help receive better and higher paying jobs. Hoover is persuasive by using statistics, interviews with undergraduates and graduates, and acknowledging the opposing views as well as refuting them.
The type and level of the school, the chosen major, and the cost of the college are all greatly defined dimensions. Data from a Baccalaureate and Beyond Survey calculated that the only difference between the earnings for a bachelor’s degree and a high school graduate’s lifetime earnings is the degree itself. Additionally, private school students may earn more in a lifetime, but will end up paying more for admission. Although they are making more earnings, their opportunity costs are much higher, making their return on investment lower. Selection of one’s major acts in this same way. The authors explain that the major that is paid the highest is “engineering, followed by computers and math. The lowest paid major… is education, followed by the arts and psychology
The authors also use these graphs to show the contrasts between workers with only a highschool diploma when compared to workers with a college degree. The figures contrast the differences in work-life earnings between different degrees and majors, showing that some degrees have a slim chance of paying off or being worth the cost of attendance at a college or university. These contrasts help illuminate the fact that a degree just isn’t for everyone. Many students who are pressured into attending college end up making a massive and costly mistake. The author states that “nearly two hundred schools on the 2012 list have negative ROI’s (return on investment)” (p.214). In another essay, titled “Colleges & Early Decision: An Overview,” the authors, M. Lee and M. Clapp, explore the problems and difficulties that students must face during the application process. This information further supports Owen and Sawhill argument against the current system of education by explaining how college can affect students even before
With tuition costs skyrocketing and job opportunities declining for many graduates around the nation, it leaves many to question the supposed benefits of earning a college degree. In high school, students are geared towards the idea a college education will unlock various opportunities for those with a degree compared to those individuals without one. Although receiving a higher education may be extremely costly, it remains important to not underestimate its true value. There are a number of factors that make earning a college education crucial in today’s society. These include the knowledge you gain by earning a degree, and extensive opportunities made available after graduation. These two factors, along with the financial security and
Over the years, it has become more apparent that in order to be successful in a career, a college degree is necessary. Many people, young and old, are getting a college education. In an article in “Affordability and the Return on Investment of College Completion”, it is stated that “the average earnings of young adults with a bachelor's degree are twice as high as that of workers with only a high school diploma …” (Bowers 144).
Recent college graduates who are working full-time earn about $15,000 more annually than their peers, who have only a high school diploma. Jobs that only require a high school diploma or GED will not pay as much as the jobs requiring employees to have a bachelor or even higher, so graduating college with a degree is almost required in today’s society. Consequently, students are forced to choose the lesser of two evils: pay the great price to go to college with the possibility of suffering an enormous amount of student debt, or earn far less over a lifetime and undergo a greater likelihood of being unemployed for long periods, without the prospect of finding a reliable job. When looking at the two options, college still seems to always win because despite the recent struggles of college graduates, investing your time in a college degree may be more
Going to College: Not a One Size Fits All Solution Going to college is a very serious decision that can change the outcome of one’s life. Students must decide if going to college is worth it, and do so by analyzing the time and monetary commitment that it takes to go to college versus the rewards or benefits of a college degree. Many people have been talking about the idea that a college education is not worth it anymore, while at the same time, many competitive jobs state that only a bachelor degree or higher will qualify a candidate for employment. With the options, articles, and news available, it can leave many high school or returning students stumped as to whether or not college is worth it. College is not a one size fits all approach;
As young adults graduate from high school, they wonder whether they should pursue a higher education or not. The debate on the cost of college and its worth has been a highly discussed topic for decades. Most kids most likely won’t attend college because they claim it’s too expensive and it’s not worth the cost. But college is more than just a building with an expensive price tag that people attend, it’s an experience, it’s a segue to personal and financial prosperity.
In today’s society, multitudes of our high school graduates are being pushed and excessively encouraged to attend college. Attending these colleges has negatively affected many college graduates, such as providing attendees debt and wasted resources on attaining a college degree. However, the pros considerably outweigh the cons on the worth of a college degree. College is worth the cost because it gives graduates' ample opportunity and success, larger wages than that of non-college graduates, and gives graduates life-skills that will stupendously bene/fit them not only in the work force, but also later in life.
Choices people make while they are young can affect them for the rest of their lives. From a very young age, children are asked what they want to be when they grow up, and they are told they can be anything they want to be with hard work and dedication. Countless children say they want to be doctors and lawyers, but they are unaware of the financial burden they would take on to achieve these dreams. Going to college is not a simple as it may seem while guidance counselors promise it is the only way to be successful in life it only leaves students in debt and jobless. A college education is a key to unlocking the doors to these sought out professions but most of the time individuals can not afford the “key to success.” College is not for everyone
As unskilled jobs become more unreliable to support families, it has become increasingly clear that the path to success in America lies with education. A majority of Americans now believe that a college education is necessary for their children, which can be contrasted with most
From birth to death, from day to dawn, children are always told that the absolutely must attend college. Without a degree, they may as well throw their entire life away; no job, no salary, no family—only poverty and misery. Many take this advice to heart, and spend countless amounts of dollars, time, and effort on obtaining their diploma. However, many find themselves in a rut—they have graduated their post-secondary school, but now they cannot obtain a job! Regrettably, this exact situation happens to several thousands of individuals every year. As a result, people often find themselves debating on whether or not college is valuable enough to pour hundreds of dollars into. College is worth the investment if one enters the program with the right experience, finances, and connections to make the most of it.
The United States is a unique place in our world today and one of the remaining true capitalistic countries. Generation after generation in the fifty states have been spoon-fed the idea of the American dream being the main goal to strive for in life. College has become more popular in the past few decades than ever before with more people realizing that it’s nessesary to get a head start on the rest of the field and to begin the journey to the American dream. With a little more than one-quarter of high school