The Value of a College Education As tuition costs continue to rise to levels higher than ever before,many are asking, is a college education worth the financial investment. What exactly is the value of a college education ' The answers to these questions lie in the economic, societal, and personal benefits that a college education enables. The financial burden of debts and lost potential wages carried by many who choose to pursue post-secondary studies is certainly present. However, evidence indicates that the long-term benefits of completing college far outweigh the costs, and these benefits extend past the individual to their families and society at large. Whatever the benefits may be, a college degree is a necessity for today’s generation …show more content…
Once attained, a college degree will enable individual to earn more in the long run. In fact, the rate of return on investment in higher education is substantial enough to warrant the financial burden often associated with the pursuit of a college degree. On the whole, college graduates earn more than those with only a high school diploma. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the median annual income in 1999 of male high school graduates working full-time and year round was $33,184 and $23,061 for female-full-time workers. However, the average incomes in 1999 for males with a bachelor degree were $52,985 and $37,993 for females. This demonstrates the drastic disparity in earnings between individuals with college educations and those with only high school diplomas. The U.S. census Bureau has determined that each successively higher education level attained is associated with an increase in earnings. Over an adult 's working life, high school graduates earn an average of $1.2 million, those with associate degrees earn approximately $1.6 million, and individuals with bachelor 's degrees earn about $2.1 million. When the necessary financial burden of pursuing higher education is put in comparison to the differences in wages related to level of education outlined above, the true economic value of college education is certainly put into perspective. Moreover, higher learning leads to higher earning. Beyond increased income potential, graduates from college educations also experience several other benefits compared to those with only high school diplomas. These benefits include longer life spans, better access to health care, better dietary and health practices, greater economic stability and security, and less dependency on government assistance. College education has also been linked to greater use of seat belts, more continuing education, greater attendance at live performances,
While some say that college is a good investment due to its tendency to grow a student's character and intellectual ability, the downsides to college sorely outweigh the potential benefits that it has. While college does grow a student in multiple ways, “57% say that the higher education system in the United States fails to provide students with good value for the money they and their families spend.”(Doc F). This majority opinion demonstrates that the growth you can achieve in college is sorely outweighed by its economic cost, and not worth doing.
“Why College is Still Worth It Even Though It Cost Too Much.” Money.com (2015): N.PAG. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 11 Oct. 2016 The author of this paper address that a lot of college students feel like the time, money, and effort is not worth it; However, studies show that it does pay off by receiving higher pay, better work hours, and better benefits, such as insurance plans. A poll was done using college alumni to see if they thought that college paid off, and of the 30,000 that were in the poll a majority of them agreed that it did. Also, the writer includes several other polls conducted to show the life-long impacts of a college education, which includes better career and friendship
Based on Three Reasons College Still Matters, there are three main reasons why a college education is so important. From an economical standpoint, an education is most of the time needed to earn enough money to live comfortably. Attending and completing college provides a possibility for future economic stability. Within a highly competitive workforce a college degree can put a foot in the door to a job of a person’s choice. Statistics show that people who obtain a bachelor’s degree or higher get paid more than those who do not obtain one. Many question the worth of a college degree because of how expensive it is, though some say that the money spent is an investment on a person’s future. One can say that the worth of a college education is within the eye of the beholder. Many q...
The argument about if college is worth it or not has been one of the biggest arguments throughout the media for decades. Students suffer a lot from the debts that they get from college and also the amount of studying that they do in college and when they graduate they ask themselves “is graduation from college really worth all the money that we paid and all the work that we have done?”
During autumn, many people are excited for the beautiful colors, football, Halloween, and much more, but fall also is the start of a new school year. As thousands of students head off to college, some wonder “Is all of this time and money worth it?” (DeMause par. 1). With the price of a college education at an all-time high, Neil DeMause analyses the true value of college in his essay “What’s the Value of a College Degree.” In the paper, he examines whether the time and money that is “wasted” on college could be put to better use. He also digs into whether some colleges or degrees have more worth than others. Using all of these components, DeMause investigates the value of college. When the fallacies are ignored, DeMause- with strong support- is able to answer the 150,000 dollar question that college is, in fact, worth it.
While college may be initially uneconomical, evidence from a 1959 census shows a “three-fourths of earning difference” between those who graduated from college and those who merely received a high school diploma (Weisbrod et al 495). Weisbrod and Karpoff acknowledge the high cost of college in America, but assert the benefits of a college degree will more than reimburse a person in the long run, therefore the initial cost of attending a college is worthwhile. (Weisbrod et. al). Furthermore, this indicates only “one-fourth of the earnings differences are attributed...to non-schooling factors”, which proves the significant role college plays in determining the future earnings of an individual (Weisbrod et. al 497). College appears to be the most influential factor in regards to a person's earnings, therefore according to Weisbrod and Karpoff, college is necessary for a person who wishes to obtain a higher expected income. Even students who attend mediocre to below-average colleges will receive “a lifetime income that is [around] 10 percent lower ...than that which someone at one of the best schools can expect” (Weisbrod et. al 497). Weisbrod and Karpoff contend even low-tier colleges result in higher earnings, therefore a student should strive to attend any college regardless of the
For those who wish to have children in the future, imagine putting ten dollars a week aside from now until they turned eighteen. That money would hardly accumulate up to even a portion of the costs for just a single year of higher education. In the article, “America’s Most Overrated Product: The Bachelor’s Degree”, an essay from the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2008, author Marty Nemko discusses all aspects that should be considered before pursuing a serious interest in educational institutions. Being a current student at a four-year institution it concerns me for not only myself but also fellow peers if we are making the right decision. The costs of higher education are increasing drastically along with the amount of Americans in debt from student loans. The value of a bachelor degree is declining and students are faced with the question, do the benefits of a collegiate education out weigh the costs?
Everyone knows that going to college and getting a degree is the most effective and guaranteed route to ensure a prosperous financial future, right? College is considered by most to be the best investment you can make in life, but what happens when that investment leaves you drowning in thousands of dollars in debt right after graduation day. This is the situation that millions of college graduates are faced with in 2016. Rising college tuition perpetuates student debt and is on a sharp incline and it seems to have no ambition of ever slowing down. The effect of this catastrophe is felt by millions of families across the country who now question, “is college really worth it?”
Although a college education grows more and more expensive every year. People begin to question whether college is a good idea to invest in or not. “As college costs continue to rise, students and their families are looking more carefully at what they are getting for their money. Increasingly, they are finding that the college experience falls short of their expectations”(Cooper. H Mary). Many people believe that the cost of a college degree has outstripped the value of a degree.Studies show that a college degree will increase your earning power. A lot of people say that a college degree now is worth what a high school diploma was wor...
College can lead to satisfaction in life that may benefit you in the long run; however, the price to attend an institute of higher learning can be quite expensive. Going to college could be an advantage, helping you to potentially get a job, but it could leave students in debt and without a plan to pay off their student loans once studies are complete. Everyone should have a chance to increase their education; however, higher tuition costs can decimate someone’s possibility of achieving the dream of graduating from an institution of higher learning. The cost of going to college needs to be lower in order to make higher education accessible to everyone, provide greater career opportunities to more people, and lessen the amount of debt students
A diverse array of arguments concerning the costly price of college and its equivalence to the ultimate result of attending persists along a vastly debatable spectrum of economic and social influences. Those seeking a better standard of living by the means of higher education often find themselves in conditions that are more adverse than their lifestyle prior to attending college. Efforts to dwindle the expenditure of college education have the potential to produce a heightened reality of the world, with intellectual knowledge as a pivotal key. The expensive cost and limitability of a college education has potential to invoke incentive to work harder in one’s studies; however, the cost can crush individuals enrolled, obtaining a college degree does not ensure employment, and an excessive number of individuals are hesitant to attend college in the first place due to the prevalent debt tied to its completion.
The ability to gain a degree in any field of study is highly important in American society, possessing skills and knowledge over your job emphasizes the significance of higher education. Especially, for job promotions that would cause someone to make more than their fellow colleagues. In our increasingly competitive economic society, having the minimal of a high school diploma is not enough to provide financial stability nor will it help to compete in a workforce in which the best-educated are the ones that are rewarded the most. Therefore, higher education is a crucial necessity in order to move up the socioeconomic ladder and qualify for higher paying jobs. The rising costs of college, however, is making it harder for Americans to obtain
In today’s society, the idea of receiving a college education has been pondered quite a bit as to whether or not it is actually worth it. According to Michelle Adam, many people “…today believe that getting a good education is key to success in our society, this revealed surprising issues that challenge the notion of higher education being worth its price tag” (59). Naturally, many high school graduates apply for college right before or after graduation. Others decide to go into the work force, armed forces, or simply remain unemployed. The question that many people debate about is, is a college education worth it in the long run? Though some people believe a college education will benefit ones’ career, others believe it will cause a mass of debt and loans for college students and graduates, and postpone life events.
By attending college, students guarantees themselves a better job that the average Joe. Because the world is changing rapidly, and many jobs rely on new technology, more jobs require education beyond high school. With a college education, an individual will have more jobs from which to choose. In addition to obtaining a better job, people who go to college usually earn more money than those who do not. College furnishes you with proper credentials and documents to land high-level jobs. Figures from an A&E television program on ‘The Working Class’ show that in 2004 the average earnings were $23,895 for a high school graduate and $41,478 for individuals with a bachelor’s degree. Getting a college education is simply a stepping stone in ensuring yourself with a good start in life. Some may agree that college students are open minded and knows exactly how to expre...
Although many individuals can see the importance of quality education, there are some that see college education as simply waste of time, funds, or impossible due to their situation. In this paper I will explain how obtaining a quality education can impact an individual’s life and why it is vital. The necessity of a college education for employment goals, income expectations, personal accomplishment and quality of life will be explored.