Argumentative Essay: Is College Worth It?

Is College Worth It? Everybody tells you to go to college. They say that college is necessary to lead a successful life. Authors like Anthony J. Rotherham and Kelci Lynn Lucier agree in their articles that getting a college education is worth it. There are many benefits of going to college including higher pay, more jobs, lower unemployment rate, and better health. A college education is a huge factor in leading a successful and fulfilling life. For these reasons, getting a college education is valuable. A college education opens up doors to many more jobs. For example, “More job openings, more chances at promotions, and more flexibility with jobs you take (and keep) are just a few of the doors that will be opened

For example, “Americans with four-year college degrees made 98 percent more an hour on average than people without a degree.” (Leonhardt, David. “Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 27 May 2014, www.nytimes.com/2014/05/27/upshot/is-college-worth-it-clearly-new-data-say.html) With being paid nearly twice as much as high school graduates, there should not be too much worry about how bills would be paid. On top of that, there will likely be leftover money that can be spent for entertainment purposes, pay off debt, or put in a retirement and emergency savings account. Also, “Another recent study by the Pew Research Center found that the median yearly income gap between high school and college graduates is around $17,500.” (Osborn, Peter. “Do College Grads Really Earn More Than High School Grads?” Cornerstone University, 29 Nov. 2016, www.cornerstone.edu/blogs/lifelong-learning-matters/post/do-college-grads-really-earn-more-than-high-school-grads.) That amount of money can boost paying off many kinds of debt greatly. Or the money can be used to put in a savings account, and if that amount of money is put in every year, then the money would add up pretty quickly and in about six years it would be over six figures. Having leftover money would minimize stress, and will be a factor of living a high quality and fulfilling life. Of course, there are many non college graduates who make as much money as some college graduates. However, “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010, the median weekly earnings for someone with some college but no degree [was a mere] $712, compared to $1,038 for a college graduate.” (Rotherham, Andrew J. “Actually, College Is Very Much Worth It.” SpringBoard, 19 May 2011, pp. 86–87.) Since these are the average amounts that high school graduates and college