More than Just a Piece of Paper: An Examination of the Worth of a College Education To Americans as a whole, education is essential for moving forward and being successful in life. Although this is the case, many have questioned the true worth of a college/university education and its usefulness in the life of an individual. However, despite the drawbacks that it presents, college provides a series of long term benefits that, in due time, outweigh the drawbacks. For a person, college provides an increased likelihood of landing a decent paying career and helps develops not only their intelligence, but their character as well, which will contribute to the improvement of society as a whole. When debating over the worth of a college education, …show more content…
A portion of workers claim that such a degree would not do them any good in the career they plan on pursuing. However, despite this claim, many fail to recognize the fact that the majority of these occupations are generally low skill with low salaries. However, most people do recognize that college does benefit an individual when he or she set out in search of a career. These people include those interviewed from a 2011 national survey, in which approximately fifty-five percent of the interviewees agreed that college did indeed helped them in preparing for a career of job (Source F). Through the use of the education they were provided during their college years, these individuals have found occupations that require them to carry out higher skilled labor, which in turn allowed for better pay for companies or have been able to create a business of their own (Source D). It is a known fact that those who seek to make the most out of their lives will indeed look for work. However, the ones who have found the true worth in a college education find themselves in much better circumstances than others. They are able to maintain these jobs because they were provided the education to do so, which certainly sets them apart from those who decided the impracticality of a
In the article, “Should Everyone Go to College,” authors, Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill’s, published by the Brookings Institution, discusses the benefits of a college education. The article begins by mentioning the arguments related to the requirement of having a college degree while entering the middle class in the United States. Having a college degree reminds people that higher education is the best advancement humans can make to allow them to make more money in their lifetimes, rather than if they just had a high school education. A fact that does not get much attention is not all college graduates, or college degrees, are equal. Even though Owen and Sawhill focus, in general, alternative career paths may result in equally lucrative
In the articles, “Is College Worth It” written by David Leonhardt and “Why College Isn’t for Everyone” written by Chris Matthews, both writers build an argument to persuade readers that attending college is for everyone and is a time to emphasize one’s thoughts for the future. In the article, “Is College Worth It”, Leonhardt begins his argument by using statistics. Leonhardt states that, “Americans with four-year college degrees made 98 percent more an hour on average in 2013 than people without a degree” (Leonhardt, par. 3). This implies that individuals who have earned a bachelor's degree or higher are more likely to earn more money per hour compared to those who do not have a degree.
One insight from this article is how a college education equals the strong possibility of not having a factory job. Another insight is how working the blue-collar job can push a person to better themselves to offer a better and more stable career future by successfully completing their college
The Value of a College Degree Having a college degree is arguably one of the most important things you can achieve in your lifetime. In today’s society, it is getting much more difficult to survive without one. Most places of business that offer substantial wages and benefits require some sort of college degree. This is a problem for most people in the United States due to the fact that only 17% of the U.S. population has earned a college degree (Odland).
As a child, we are told that we must have good grades and try our best in school, but why do we need good grades? Why do we have to go to college? What is the reason for this? There is a nationwide debate whether college is worth the cost, not just money but the mental and physical cost as well. It is evident that college is not worth the cost because of the strain on mental health, other jobs are present that do not require college, and students are left in even more debt.
All your life you are told you need to go to college to be successful. In reality college is a chance to be successful but, doesn’t mean that you will be. In his article “Americas Most Overrated Product” Marty Nemko talks about college student statistics stating, "College is a wise choice for far fewer people than are currently encouraged to consider it” (527). Nemko states, “Among high school students who graduated in the bottom forty percent of their classed, and whose first institutions were four-year colleges, two thirds had not earned diplomas eight years later” (523). People who end up getting college diplomas hardly ever work in the career that they have a degree in, let alone can get jobs that require a degree.
Many people feel it is beneficial to invest money on a college education. In most cases, earning more money depends on the field one chooses to enter after graduating from college. Most employers today want to see an applicant have some sort of higher education when applying for jobs as this has changed from the past. As there are many paths one can take to be successful a college education is the most traditional idea of how to live the “American Dream”. Dreams of attending college, getting married, and starting a family are the typical persons aspirations.
People being educated can be a great influence to people in today’s society. Charles Murray believe that a college degree is like a “a price ticket for employees”. The two reasons Murray says is that “employees do not value what students learned, just that the student has a degree” the other reason is “employees do not even look at applicants who have no college degree”. College is beneficial and plays a big part because we can gain more knowledge and learn how to be a responsible young adult and about our own
They argue that while college is a valuable investment for many students, it is not the right choice for everyone. They point out that the cost of attending college has skyrocketed, and many students graduate with large amounts of debt, which may not be worth the investment for some students. Additionally, there are many good-paying jobs available that do not require a college degree, and students who pursue vocational training or apprenticeships may be able to earn just as much money as college graduates. The authors also argue that society has placed too much emphasis on college degrees and not enough on other forms of education, which can lead to a shortage of skilled workers in trades and other professions. Ultimately, they argue that the decision to attend college should be based on a student's individual goals and circumstances, and that other forms of education should be valued just as highly as college
In the world we live in today. Going to college is no longer a choice, or privilege, but rather a need for a brighter future . So the big question that happens to be going around is, “Is College really worth it?”According to Andrew J. Rotherham’s article “Actually, college is very much worth it.”, “5 Ways Ed Pays”produced by (The College board), and “Why College Isn't (And Shouldn’t have to be) For Everyone” written by Robert Reich. The answer to that question is yes.
College education doesn't guarantee employment. In 2012, there was a lot of evidence suggesting the education to work link being broken. (Allen, 2011) A lot of college graduates are searching for work today. A lot of college students feel that college is a waste of money.
, “Experts that have researched the performance and job success of college graduates have concluded that, nationwide, college graduates with a bachelor's degree earn 74 percent more per year than those who only complete high school.” This seems very logical when you look at the big picture, having furthered your education will open you up to more jobs that that require more education that will most likely pay more. The University of North Texas in their article “Why Go to College?” shows a graph from The U.S. Census Bureau that shows a professional degree could earn you around 4.4 million dollars compared to less than a high school diploma could earn you around 1 million dollars for a whole worklife. Seeing
A rising issue in today’s society is deciding whether or not college is worth the cost. There is an extreme amount of pressure that is forced upon high school students by parents, teachers, and peers to further their education and attend college. However, there is research that challenges the thought that college is the best possible path for a person to take. College may be a great investment for some people, but it is not meant for everyone. This is supported by the arguments that colleges are expensive, jobs do not always require a college degree, and students are forced to choose a lifestyle before being exposed to the real world.
It is easy to think college is not worth the cost to become better, but getting educated makes people better, and happier in the future and sometimes even in better health (Leonhardt 25 ). Becoming a better and happier person is good for everyone. Even former President Obama says “‘Education helps us be better people. It helps us be better citizens. You came to college to learn about the world and to engage with new ideas and to discover the things you 're passionate about -- and maybe have a little fun’”
As a High School Junior looking at jaw dropping tuition prices, my family and I often ask ourselves a question I’m sure many other American households are challenged with: Is a college degree actually worth it? Once you look past the recent unemployment rate for college grads, you’ll find that a college degree proves to be highly beneficial once placed in a career. Degree holders often enjoy benefits such as higher pay, higher-skilled work, and an intellectual advantage over their coworkers that do not have a degree. These benefits often outweigh the seemingly outrageous cost of college, making the price tag more than worth it.