The Value of a College Degree
“The incidence of poverty is 3.5 times lower for college graduates than for high school graduates” (Trostel 1). This and many other reasons show that people should get college degrees. The many advantages of earning a college degree outweigh the cost or any other argument against it. Because college graduates have more advantages than high school graduates, it is beneficial to get a college degree; therefore, young adults should attend college in order to have a wider variety of career opportunities, new experiences, and a better life financially.
Workers with college degrees have higher earning potential than workers with only high school degrees. On average, the annual earnings for workers with Bachelor’s degrees are about $32,000 higher than workers with high school degrees. Hiring managers at large companies paying good salaries and in choice locations are more interested in workers with college degrees than they are in workers with high school degrees. High school graduates are 3.5 times more likely to be impoverished than college graduates because of their lower average pay and lack of available jobs for which they qualify (Trostel 1). On average, high school graduates will earn $1.2 million less than college graduates over 45 years of work (“Benefits of a College Degree.”).
People who earn college degrees have better opportunities to find higher paying jobs, and a career that they enjoy where they can continue to learn and grow. Many
Many people believe that a college education is a worthy investment. The ability to become a college graduate will result in making more money. There are more jobs in today’s society that require college degrees. College graduates develop more and better employment opportunities within earning a degree. Self-discipline is a major element in becoming a successful graduate. Also, college graduates are healthier and live longer. Adults-young and old, male and female-who have a bachelor’s degree or higher have twice the annual median income than someone with only a high school degree ("Do college graduates," 2014).
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
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.
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.
Many college students choose to also get more than one degree while attending college to earn more income and further their education. College graduates have the choice of get higher level degrees and training resulting in earn even more income based on the different higher level degrees earned and training received (this means the more degrees and training you have the more income you may receive). People with higher level degrees and training earn more money that those without degrees. In 1996, for example, workers with bachelor's degrees had median annual earnings of about $36,000, while college graduates with more advanced degrees earned around $40,000 (Mittelhauser 3). This is a four-thousand dollar difference in income; this is only one of several examples of how people who graduate college make more money than the average high school graduate and that of people with lower-level degrees. The median annual wage for a bachelor’s degree in 2010 was $63,430. While the median annual wage for a person with a doctoral or professional degree in 2010 was $87,500 ("Employment by Education and Training Assignment, 2010 and Projected 2020"). This is almost a twenty-four thousand difference income just based off of median annual wage of different degrees. The income difference from college graduates than to those of high school graduates is great. College graduates are getting better wages and job openings than those of high school graduates (“President’s Perspective:
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.
Although college tuition is a lot nowadays, graduates are “far less likely to be unemployed than non-graduates.” (D) A college degree gives you a higher chance of getting a job to assist in securing the future of you and your family while also helping paying off your financial obligations. A college degree not only helps you obtain a job, but it also increase your income. “Construction workers,police officers… make significantly more with a degree…“(D)
The author of the article “Should Everyone Go to College?” proved this point in her article by a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree earned $30,000 more per year than a high school graduate or about $570,000 more over a lifetime. Also, the median income for families headed by a bachelor's degree holder was $102,000, more than a double family headed by a high school graduate (Owen and Sawhill 214). This means, every higher degree, like from high school diploma to bachelor’s degree, there is a different salary and a higher education will lead to higher paychecks. In addition to the income raises, job requirements changed over the years too.
The first reason is college is a place where people should go to gain knowledge, not just to focus on getting a better paying job. Higher education helps people gain academic knowledge in various subjects, it also opens up the mind to view material in a critical and philosophical way. It is an investment that can pay off in the future. As stated in is college worth it by Adam Michelle, “According to the survey, adults with a college degree estimated, on average, that they earn $20,000 a year more because of having achieved a degree. The same held true for adults with only a high school diploma, who believed, on average, that they earn $20,000 a year less. This matched up with 2010 Census Bureau data, which showed that the earnings difference between a high school graduate and a college
A College degree doesn’t only require hard work, but also a lot of money which can lead to conflict. Students might get discouraged to continue with their education because of how much it costs. Having a college education provides the benefits of better job opportunities, higher salaries, and improves
College education is one of the most worthwhile and profitable goals in the U.S. simply for its potential to allow better choice and opportunity in life according to an analysis of census data released Tuesday. Research by the Pew Center has concluded that 18-25 year olds with just a high-school diploma earned 38% less than the average salary of people their same age with a bachelor’s degree. In addition, this is a 19 % decrease since 1965, and the trend is projected to increase. This data
Higher education gives people the chance to change business situation in life. People who graduate from colleges are most likely to get a good paying job, because of the training in present
College education will no longer be an issue for students, so I disagree with this statement, “The value of college education cannot be reduced to a simple economic number.” The topic on every college student’s mind is: college tuition. Since the cost of college is so far-fetched, students are leaving college with high amounts of debt. However, some students can’t even afford college.There are many ways that can reduce the simple cost of college education such as which college was attended, applying for scholarships or grants, and their FAFSA. Students who want to go to college should be able to attend college with a simple economic number.
According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, those with a four-year college degree have a weekly salary $1,137, compared to the $678 salary of high school graduates. Putting these values into a broader perspective, the difference between the lifetime wages of high school and college graduates is an astonishing amount of $1 million. Some may worry about the “opportunity costs” they forgo during the period of time used to earn a degree, as they would enter the workforce at an older age, but the long-term benefits of that degree definitely exceed its obstacles. Over time, the education-wage gap has also increased. As of 2012, Americans ages 25 to 32 with a college degree make $17,500 more annually than their peers with only a high school degree. In comparison, this value was only $9,690 more in 1979. The future wages that result from a college degree can also heavily depend upon major, as some majors will earn more than others. The difference between the highest and lowest paying majors is $3.4 million, the top paying majors being STEM, health and business, and the lowest being arts and social work. Telling from these statistics, the benefits of a college degree when it comes to lifetimes wages is definitely worthwhile. This is why many Americans will undergo a college education, to ensure a financially stable future so they
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