The Benefits of a College Education in David Leonhardt's Even for Cashiers College Pays Off

In society today, a college education is often seen as a “the next step” in a young adult’s life. Whether they actually know what they would like to earn a degree in, they feel the need to continue their education as almost everyone around them is pursuing post-secondary education of some sort. It is often argued that a college education is not necessary to get ahead because of the manufacture based workforce that is up and coming in America, however, there are many benefits to having a post-secondary education such as a higher rate of pay and more job opportunities.

David Leonhardt, in his article Even for Cashiers, College Pays Off, discusses the modern day's controversy about going or not going to college. Author describes the opinions of different people about pros and cons of college education and its possible benefits for the student in the future. Author believes that people should go to college, because education is the best investment ever. He opposes opinions of those who consider college being overrated, "The skeptics themselves, the professors, journalists and others say college is overrated". Author notices that those skeptics ."..of course, have degrees and often spend tens of thousands of dollars sending their children to expensive colleges." (Leonhardt)

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:

Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill report that bachelor’s degree holders make on average around 10% more than those with high school diplomas. They also write that a college education improve one’s standard of living. Gaining a bachelor’s degree is not accomplishable by everyone due to different reasons, so only a select few will be able to receive these benefits, given colleges’ selectivity.

In “The Great Debate: Is College Still Worth It?” author Ricardo Azziz endorses post-secondary education by stating its economic advantage in today’s society. The author begins his article by introducing a survey done by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, which shows that the majority of college graduates believe college education is worth its cost. Not only are people convinced of the value of a college education, adults with a degree of some sort (bachelor’s degree or associate degree) tend to earn more than those without one. But also, post-secondary education gives people a better chance at achieving the “American Dream” through diligence and hard work. Azziz states that “college graduates were 5.3 times more likely to leave the bottom quintile than non-college graduates”. In addition, in times of an economic downturn, individuals with a college degree are often able to better cope with the difficulty than those without. However, amidst the benefits of college, Azziz does not forget to address the reality that attending college is still, without a question, an expensive endeavor.

Leonhardt believes that college is beneficial and especially financially. The debt that college students go through becomes negative $500,000. After students finish college and start working they pay their debt easily. Leonhardt mentioned “Americans with four years college degrees made 98 percent more an hour on average in 2013 than people without a degree.” This statistic shows that when students start working they can pay their debt in a wisely time depending on their major.

Education has various connections with almost every aspect of everyone’s life. Thus, the higher the level of education people are able to reach, the more benefits it has on the individual’s life and the society in general. Therefore, David Leonhardt argues in his article “Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say” that the decision not to attend college is “among the most economically irrational decisions anyone could make,” in spite of the cost of attending college which will be paid off in the long run. Consequently, high education is considered as a major factor in solving economic problems and improving the economy, among other solutions.

He concludes the article with restating his thesis that it is definitely worth going to college today for almost everyone. He then goes on to end the article with the concept of the growing complexity of jobs in the economy and the necessity of a college education to meet the demands of the newly emerging economy (35). Leonhardt makes strong points to base his argument in this article and uses convincing language and credible sources to prove his agenda. He clearly makes an impact on his readers and clearly displays his position on an issue of great importance in today’s

In recent discussions of Is College Worth It? By John Green, a controversial issue has been whether, people should attend college or get a job after they finish high school. On the one hand, some argue that people can get a monthly income better than if they have a degree. From this perspective, some people they do not want to attend college. On the other hand, however, others insist that people should attend college after they finish high school. In the words of John Green, one of this view’s proponents, “after graduating from college, I actually made $1 per hour less when I started working as an assistant at Booklist Magazine, but the job was better in every way” (video). According to this view, he was working at Stake and Shake and he was getting better salary than what he got after graduate by 1$ less but money is not everything in life. Then he proved to the audiences through his experience that he was more comfortable with working as assistant at Booklist Magazine even he is making less money. Because he got a better job, got the knowledge, and work on something that he like. In sum, then, the issue is whether to attend college or work without a degree. My own view is that attending college is worth it even if it will cost some sacrifices of things that we can get it in the future. After, all, I have chosen to identify as a college student at Winona State University. Though I concede that choosing the university and working to enroll and pay the

In recent discussions of “Is College Worth It?” By John Green, a controversial issue has been whether, people should attend college or get a job after they finish high school. On the one hand, some argue that people can get a monthly income better than if they have a degree. From this perspective, some people they do not want to attend college. On the other hand, however, others insist that people should attend college after they finish high school. In the words of John Green, one of this view’s proponents, “after graduating from college, I actually made $1 per hour less when I started working as an assistant at Booklist Magazine, but the job was better in every way” (video). According to this view, he was working at Stake and Shake and he was getting better salary than what he got after graduate by 1$ less but money is not everything in life. Then he proved to the audiences through his experience that he was more comfortable with working as assistant at Booklist Magazine even he is making less money. Because he got a better job, got the knowledge, and work on something that he like. In sum, then, the issue is whether to attend college or work without a degree. My own view is that attending college is worth it even if it will cost some sacrifices of things that we can get it in the future. After, all, I have chosen to identify as a college student at Winona State University. Though I concede that choosing the university and working to

The topic of “Are Too Many People Going to College?” was presented by Charles Murray, the W.H. Brady Scholar at the American Enterprise. In today’s world college is a must due to many employers seeking educated individuals. Murray develops an interesting conversation by demonstrating that many high school graduates who are seeking to go to college do not need a degree depending on their career paths. Murray provides the analogy of a high school graduate who is looking to become an electrician but is not sure if college is the most logical decision. Murray acknowledges the fact that a B.A. does not necessarily led to a higher income than one with a degree. The logical argument of money is brought to attention and is stated “the income for the top people in a wide variety of occupations that do not require a college degree is higher than the average income for many occupations that require a B.A.” (Murray 247). Although this is his main point, he understand that it varies due to the occupation one is leaning towards. There has been individuals without a college degree that are making millions of dollars, but it varies. Murray claims that getting a B.A. is going to be the wrong economic decision for many high school graduates (Murray 246); however not everyone wants to be an electrician or any other hand held jobs that doesn’t necessarily need a degree, but if one wants to be a lawyer, doctor, or anything require a degree, college is the answer. Having a degree in a

Throughout the years, America has always debated whether education is needed- if it helps people succeed or not. The argument in the past was always over high school education, which is now mandatory. That decision has helped the US rise economically and industrially. Today, the US is in the middle of the same debate- this time, over college. Some, like David Leonhardt, a columnist for the business section of The New York Times, think a college education creates success in any job. Others, such as Christopher Beha, an author and assistant editor of Harper’s Magazine, believe that some college “education” (like that of for-profit schools) is a waste of time, and can even be harmful to students. Each stance on this argument has truth to it,

Caroline Bird’s essay “College is a Waste of Time and Money” explains her beliefs on why, for some people, going to college is an ineffective and inefficient use of their time. She states that many students do not belong in college because they are there for the wrong reasons and they are not happy learning. She also gives evidence to suggest that going to college and getting a degree does not actually allows a person to make more money in their life time. Her final claim is that college does not prepare most students for the real world and the jobs they will have once they graduate.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, an individual with a bachelor 's degree will earn practically double in salary as opposed to a person with a high school diploma over the course of their career. When deductive reasoning leads one to ask the question why, three primary reasons tend to surface. The first reason is the fact that bachelor 's degree holders receive higher starting salaries. Secondly, bachelor 's degree holders have an increased probability of earning potential, which includes but is not limited to raises and promotions.

If we are going to compare these two paths, then a common basis on which they will be compared is required. This basis is found by asking the question: “What is the purpose of receiving an education?” Since there are many arguable reasons to receive an education, for the sake of this paper we will narrow it down to one: to obtain an employable set of skills in order to earn income. Therefore, the basis for comparison will be which path leads to better financial security in the long run. With this basis set, we can now set the driving question this paper seeks to examine: “Does the investment in higher education yield a sufficient return to justify its cost in modern America? And if so, will it continue?” Or, to put it more simply: “Is college worth it?”