Is College Education Worth The Cost Essay

Ask yourself a question, is college worth it to you? If you answered no then in this case it will be beneficial for you to read this. When thinking about college you have to think more about what you want out of it rather than what you have to do to get through it. The skills that you get while attending college can be very beneficial to you. Having the critical thinking and advanced communication skills that you acquire in college. Getting a college degree and bringing what you learned to the real world will benefit you in your quest for financial success.

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).

College started to be the direction many students take after high school. During junior year, all the teachers start telling their student to consider college and the major that they want to pursue. Correspondingly, the students start to take the SAT and ACT tests. In junior year many students start to think if they are ready for college. Also, they start thinking about the major they want to enroll in if they decide to apply for college. More questions come in mind such as, would college be suitable for everyone? And is college worth the money the students would have to spend on tuition every semester until they graduate? From Leonhardt perspective, college is worth even with the debt it comes with. According to Matthews’s argument, college degree is needed because it is becoming more valuable with time. The arguments that both of Leonhardt and Matthews give prove that college is worth it and it is a good financial decision for most of the students.

As it is, there is about $1 trillion in college debt in America. A Philadelphia Enquirer article warns that, “The average debt owed per person is $25,000 -- the highest level of student debt in the nation's history,” and that the number is increased by tens of thousands of dollars for those who go on to get higher degrees. $25,000 is a lot but the reality is that a lot of people have even more than that. For example, what if someone goes to an expensive private college and their tuition is anywhere between 30 and 70 thousand per year. In total they could be paying between 120 and 240 thousand dollars per year. The majority of the country is most likely unable to easily pay for that and could end up with extensive amounts of debt just because they went to the college that they wanted to. Student’s education shouldn’t be compromised just because the school they want to go to has a high tuition. Alarmingly, “Study after study has shown the number one barrier to attending college is the published rate of tuition.”(Lowe) The amount of student debt as a result of a school’s high tuition should decide where people should go to school. If tuition is decreased then simultaneously, student debt would be as well.

The student loan debt crisis in the United States has reached $1 trillion dollars. According to Belkin (2015), the average student loan debt is $35,000. This debt has recent graduates doubting whether or not their education was worth the cost. Fifty-two percent of graduates from public institutions agreed that their education was worth the investment, whereas 48% did not (Belkin, 2015). Forty-seven percent of graduates from private colleges agreed that their education was worth the expense, while 53% indicated that their education was not worth the expense (Belkin, 2015). In fact, graduates’ frustration with their degree is impart to the amount debt they incurred while in school. Although graduates have concerns regarding their debt, the

Preparing for College after graduating from high school is considered to be as one of the most thought by students. Even so, most students nowadays are uncertain whether attending college will be a good advantage for them. Some believe that it is a waste of time and money, but most people consider it as a reason to thrive in life. Unlike High school, College is certainly different because it determines your future and should be taken more earnestly by the students. College education is a worth of cost because it basically provides students with great benefits, which can be a good help in shaping their future goals.

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.

Is college really worth the multiple years of schooling paired with the ever-increasing debt that students have to repay after they graduate? A record 18.4 million students applied to colleges in the U.S in 2009. Tuition, however, typically rises each year at a rate that surpasses the rate of the Consumer Price Index. Critics find it unfair that students have to pay tens of thousands more for an education than people did decades ago. Most students will use some type of loan for an average of 23% of their education, despite the fact that loan distributors are closing at an alarming rate. Some students will even resort to using credit cards to repay their debt, and on average, 66% of graduates have outstanding debt. In addition, unemployment

When someone hears the term “higher education” the first thought tends to be college, of course. College has always been thought of as the one-way ticket to a high salary occupation. The reality of the situation is that while that may be true in some cases, it’s not as easy at it seems to receive that ticket aka the Bachelor’s degree. College tuition is a large amount and it’s even more expensive to attend college only to drop out. This leaves the student with no degree and vast amounts of debt. That debt is averaging 20,000 dollars for four years of schooling. Higher education is beneficial for anyone with the dedication to attending and knowing what they are striving for with while doing so.

One major question that a student attending high school has to consider is whether to go to college or not. With the increasing debt that the average college-bound teenager faces if he or she chooses to go, it becomes harder to decide if college is even worth it. In fact, according to “Congratulations, Class of 2015. You’re the Most Indebted Ever (For Now)” by Jeffrey Sparshott, the average debt for a graduate of the class of 2015 is nearly $35,000 per year, more than twice the average of 2000 (Sparshott 1). This increase highlights the steady trend toward higher debt for future college attendees.

Many students after high school are on the road to college but not really knowing what to expect or what they’re getting into. People may say college education is worth the price of admission and some may say the total opposite. College education is worth it only if you can afford it and knowing what you’re going to major in is going to be helpful for you later on in the future. Because college is not always the easy way out.

When young adults finish high school they are driven to enroll into a higher education program. With the constant talks of soaring tuition costs, in addition to the massive student loan debt, taking this step can be worrisome. Reyna Gobel, a journalist on financing college and repaying student debt, states. “It’s easy to stop believing that a college education is worth it when the nation has over a trillion dollars in debt, but college graduates still earn more over a lifetime than those without a degree. Plus, they’re more employable.” More than three-quarters of college graduates agree that higher education is indeed still worth the cost. Additional education in a field you’re passionate about will drive your success, making education an invaluable asset.

All through life, most children are told that getting a higher education is the only way to have a successful life. Each year the cost of college rises, with that the total student debt rises as more students take out loans to help pay for his or her education. An astounding 1.2 trillion dollars is the United States student debt amount, and every year it continues to grow. (Investor’s Business, 2015, p. A14). According to new reports, 27.3% of student loans are delinquent and that on average a student’s loan debts is roughly a little over $20,000. (Investor’s Business, 2015, p. A14). Block (2014) says that about 40% of loan borrowers had a balance less than $10,000 and that about 3.7% had balances that were over $100,000.

Is college still worth it? For most students, the answer is still yes. However, there are a number of students who would say no, college is not worth all the money anymore. The pay rates that people with a four-year college degree have had, has risen compared to that of those who have only obtained a high school diploma and no further education beyond that. The average pay that students without a four-year college degree earn, has remained flat. College is worth all the money it asks for in fees and such because a degree pays itself off once a career has begun in the field of study the degree is for. Because of pay rates being so low, a four-year college degree is now more important than ever. Due to the way the economy has become and the inability to make enough money to pay for college funds, most high school graduates discontinue their education after receiving a high school diploma.

“With 20.2 million US college students in 2015 and average student debt at over $28,950, the debate continues today…is college education worth it? The cost of higher education at both public and private institutions is increasing and adversely affecting college students (College Board, 2009; Idemudia & Ferguson, 2014a, 2014b, 2015a, 2015b). In 2016, the employment rate was highest for young adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Employment rate is the number of persons in a given group who are employed as a percentage of the civilian population in that group. Typically college graduates have higher employment rates and have a better chance at benefits and better pay, but also student loans are crippling as the years go on making college unaffordable for most.