Is College Worth It Analysis

This week for PLN I read "Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say" by David Leonhardt is about how college is worth it even with its cost. In the article, it describes how important a degree is. It said in the article that 98% of people with a degree made more money than people without a degree. There is nothing inevitable about this trend. If there were more college graduates the pay gap would shrink. The true cost of a degree is negative $500,000. The unemployment rate for 25 and 34 years old is 3%. That is from having a degree. The average hourly wage for a college graduates has risen 1% to 32.60.

One of the biggest overall benefits of having a college education to some degree after a high school diploma is the most obvious: the considerably higher pay rate that is available for those careers that often times require a degree. It’s a common misconception that big amounts of money will just come pouring in after they walk across the stage with their degree, however, the real benefits start stacking up you begin to pay off student loans and the are now being employed in a career within your degree specifications. A study done by Georgetown University proved that graduates from college “earn $1 million more in earnings over their lifetime” as compared to those who only had a high school diploma (Cornerstone). As well as that, another study done by the Pew Research Center found that in 2012, there was a HUGE average yearly income gap “between high school and college graduates” of around $17,500

“A high school dropout makes on average $19,000 a year, a high school graduate makes $28,000 a year, a college graduate makes $51,000 a year. Over the course of a career, a college grad will make nearly $1 million more than a high school graduate. That's a lot of money." Is College worth spending? According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2015–2016 school year was $32,405 at private colleges, $9,410 for state residents at public colleges, and $23,893 for out-of-state residents attending public universities.

Most people in today’s society question our education system. Many people question education because for some it’s a good investment, and for others it’s a waste of time and money. Studies have shown that having a higher education will pay off in the long run, but some of the world’s richest people have never stepped foot into a college class.

“… A college degree is the surest ticket to the middle class,” says President Barack Obama (10, “College Education”). However, many disagree. Only 44% of people say that college is worth it from a previous 75%. This is understandable because tuition is the highest it has ever been and is still rising; meanwhile, student debt has surpassed $1.2 trillion (4, “Is College Worth”). Is college really worth the money? It depends on many factors such as the student, major, college, and time taken to graduate. But for the average student, it is definitely worth it; in fact, a college degree has never been more valuable because it increases the chances of having better wages and benefits, more job opportunities, and marketable knowledge. Anthony Carnevale from Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce says that ““the only thing worse than going to college is not going to college,” meaning students must decide between risking lower wages and higher chance of unemployment or paying for college (4).

“The pay gap between college graduates and everyone else reached a record high last year.” Quoted from the article ‘Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say’ by David Leonhardt, Sometimes, not often, society tells us that College is not worth our time or money, But receiving a college degree will bring what you learned in the classroom into the real world, which benefit you on your quest to success. The education system has always been a major element in todays society. The more knowledge an individual has the better their success rate, some people believe a high school diploma is enough and it is, for a fast food restaurant.

Students often leave high school with the mentality that they must enter a college. However, in the book, Is College Worth It?, by William J. Bennett and David Wilezol debates the positive and negative aspects of attending college. It is not known which was the first university to appear in the United States, but the most notorious college to be established in the 1600s was Harvard University. Since the 1600s, colleges have only been increasing in an abundant of states in the United States. Unfortunately, Bennett and Wilezol, first two chapters introduce the negative aspects of college; and, chapters three and four are universal arguments that go against each other. The final chapter reveals the author's opinion on colleges.

While it is said that those who graduate with a college degree earn more than those without it, the average hourly wage for college graduates is still pretty small, but bigger in comparison to those who are not college graduates and only achieved a high school degree rather than a college one. “A college graduate will on average make $1 million more than a worker with just a high school degree over the course of his lifetime” (Why college isn’t for everyone, explained in a single chart). However, as the years go by “the cost of a degree has increased 12-fold, while a degree holder isn’t making more money at all when accounting for inflation” (Why college isn’t for everyone, explained in a single chart). Matthews argues that “many works

Thesis: College is worth it. An non college graduate have a harder time finding themselves a job

The typical college education is worth the cost. Following a degree, graduates earn more money over an hourly and weekly span than one with only a high school diploma. According to David Leonhardt, managing editor of analytical journalism at the New York Times and author of the article, “Is college Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say.” Americans with a four year college degree make 98% more an hour on average and that the true cost of college is negative $500,000, which makes going to college cheaper than not completing college courses. This leads readers to believe by going and completing college, you could potentially make more money per hour than your counterpart. Comparatively, College graduates can earn more over their lifetime, which improves

Higher education guarantees higher pay checks. Education encourages individuals, placing qualified people in demanding career. Qualified people are assured of having jobs which pay them well. According to Rodney K. Smith, “here’s the average weekly income for those who have jobs: $444 for those with less than a high school

Whether or not a college education is worth the money is a controversial topic. Some people believe that education is an investment that will allow us to have better career opportunities and a higher pay (Smith and Le 29, 36). To illustrate, in 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics published that the rate of unemployment was lower among graduates. For instance, 14,9% of the unemployed did not have a high school diploma, 5,4% had a bachelor’s degree, and 1.9 % had a doctoral degree (Smith 29). Similarly, after a 3-year American Community Survey, the U.S Census Bureau found a strong correlation between education and earnings (Census.Gov 44). The data collected showed that professional degree holders earn $72,000 more than “an eight grade education” (Census.Gov 44).

Those with a college degree have a remarkably higher salary compared to those with just a high school diploma. The pay gap of college graduates and everyone else has reached a record high (Leonhardt). This of course is due to the skills and knowledge that can be applied from their education at a university or college. Higher education acknowledges that they will be sending their students to the work force and preparation is part of their degree. College graduates earn a lot more compared to anyone else, especially high school graduates. With that being said, graduates will also “ face a range of outcomes” (Akers). This emphasized how college can be risky, as well as how students aren’t always successful. Some fall behind and don’t graduate

College is a way everyone can support themselves and their families. College opens many doors and possibilities for anyone's future, there aren't many downsides at all for going to college. In the article “New school year, old story: Education pays”, states in the second paragraph, “workers with a bachelor's degree, for example, earned about $415 more a week than workers whose highest level of education is a high school diploma.” This is significant because in the future it will be very effective to support

Going to college would make finding a job in life a fairly effortless task. An individual with a college education could accept a well-earned job, and may even often find better opportunities throughout his or her lifetimes than ever possible dreamed for. When out of work, a university educated individual will get any job faster than someone who is not as qualified due to a lack of college experience. Besides, a person would go to college and