College Value Goes Deeper Than The Degree Essay

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.

Does college really give graduates the tools and knowledge required to succeed? In the article “Where College Fails Us”, author Caroline Bird attempts to argue that college may not be worth as much as people are led to believe. Bird believes that with the rise in college graduates being well above the Department of Labor Statistics anticipated job needs, college is quickly becoming a waste of time. Moreover, several reasons listed depict colleges many shortcomings, including the stress it puts on students and the unrealistic expectations it gives them combined with huge financial burdens. The author believes that the successful college graduates would have been successful regardless of their education, and that the majority of students felt forced to attend. Finally, she states that before wasting your money on a college education the reader should reflect on her article and determine if there is still value in a college experience. Although Caroline Bird presents many persuading arguments against the college experience in her article, I believe her logic to be outdated and generalized, and her content lacking of discrediting information. I disagree that all college graduates are taking dead-end jobs, and universities have withdrawn from the social side of their educational experience.

It has been a heavily debated topic over whether college is worth it or not. In “College’s Value,” college professor Eric Hoover explains his studies of college degrees and concludes that attending college has greater benefits than we expect. Nowadays, when families think of college, they think about the amount of financial burden instead of what they will gain from attending. In this article, Hoover states, “Yet the perceived benefits of attending college go well beyond the dollars” (Hoover 1). He writes how diplomas help receive better and higher paying jobs. Hoover is persuasive by using statistics, interviews with undergraduates and graduates, and acknowledging the opposing views as well as refuting them.

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.

Many people are confused on why to invest time and money of attending college. A reason for obtaining a higher education is that a college degree can possibly earn a much higher salary than the majority of the people who have a high school diploma. College can be expensive and time consuming for the most of the people that do not have enough money and spare time to go to college. Stephen Rose, a research professor at the Georgetown University, wrote an article on “The Value of a College Degree” to explain if a college degree can be valuable to people to have. Eleni Karageorge, an author on the United States Department of Labor, wrote an article “Is A College Degree Still Worth It?” to give some details on job occupations that compares with employees having a bachelor’s degree or a high school diploma on how much they annually make on their job. Finally, Paul E. Barton, a consultant and a writer for topics related on education, wrote an article “How Many College Graduates Does the U.S. Labor Force Really Need?” on giving details on how valuable to have a college degree in the near future are needed when certain occupations are on high demand with a requirement on having a least a bachelor’s degree. We need to know why going to college is so important for anyone who wants to have professional occupations.

The whole idea that students don’t really need a college education in today’s society is questionable, because employers will often hire someone based on whether or not they have a degree, as well as their past experiences. In many cases today, the people that are making a reasonable amount of money either have a college degree or invented/discovered something that ended up making them wealthy. If you’re one of the lucky few who have invented or discovered something of significance, then you may not need a college degree. For the many of us who aren’t as fortunate, however, a college degree is a

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

College is a great place for many to experience new things and to further education. However, college is not for everyone. According to the film Ivory Tower, college teaches people valuable skills such as networking with peers and extensive knowledge. College also provides students, upon graduation, with a degree and proper credentials. Based on a survey done by the Pew Research Center; the article “The Rising Cost of Not going to College,” states that “economic analysis consistently find that college graduates regardless of generation are doing better than those with less education,” this shows that there is a reasonable gap between a college degree and a high school diploma. On the other hand, it may not be worth the rising costs. Carolina Bird, author of “Where College Fails Us,” mentions in her article “in the current slowdown it has become evident that there were never, and probably never will be, enough jobs requiring higher education to go around,” (59-60) this shows some people's job outlook may not be aligned with their major. Jeffrey Selingo’s article “Is College Worth the Cost? Many Recent Graduates Don’t Think So,” says that “nearly half of college graduates in their 20s are underemployed, meaning the jobs they have do not require a bachelor’s degree,” this brings up the possibility of college not being beneficial to many. College can be needed because of higher salaries after graduation and providing people with the tools to succeed. On the contrary, going to

With tuition costs skyrocketing and job opportunities declining for many graduates around the nation, it leaves many to question the supposed benefits of earning a college degree. In high school, students are geared towards the idea a college education will unlock various opportunities for those with a degree compared to those individuals without one. Although receiving a higher education may be extremely costly, it remains important to not underestimate its true value. There are a number of factors that make earning a college education crucial in today’s society. These include the knowledge you gain by earning a degree, and extensive opportunities made available after graduation. These two factors, along with the financial security and

College education is one of the most worthwhile and profitable goals in the U.S. simply for its potential to allow better choice and opportunity in life according to an analysis of census data released Tuesday. Research by the Pew Center has concluded that 18-25 year olds with just a high-school diploma earned 38% less than the average salary of people their same age with a bachelor’s degree. In addition, this is a 19 % decrease since 1965, and the trend is projected to increase. This data

The significance of receiving a college degree has intensified over many years. In a recent documentary the usefulness of having a college education was explained; people not owning a four year degree have an decrease chance of obtaining a well paying jobs because people with a degree will appear more qualified to have the job. (Alex, 2012). With the escalating number of people in poverty, and the demand for more specialized jobs, acquiring a job without some form of higher education is becoming more difficult to achieve. Many people are accessing a higher education, but the people who need a college education are not attending college because they do not have money to pay for college. College is not an important option for families living

College is a very controversial topic of the 21st century, since many students do not have the finances to attend college without being in debt. Though, with a college degree, the person is more competitive in the labor market than those with only a high school diploma as well as earning more. The U.S. Census Bureau created statistical data from those with bachelor’s degrees, associate’s degrees and only a high school diploma and with these – a person with a bachelor’s degree will make 2 million in the course of their career, a person with an associate’s degree will make 1.5 million, while a person with a high school diploma will make nearly 1.2 million in their career lifetime (“What is the Value of a College Degree?”, http://www.bestcollegevalues.org/what-is-the-value-of-a-college-degree/

A college degree is significant for a successful financial future. At least a 4-year college degree is required for most of the occupations that are determined as a well-paying job. In order to gain financial success in the work field, college is an important part of that goal. Christopher S. Rugaber, the associated press, reports on USA Today, “College graduates, on average, earned 56% more than high school grads in 2015, according to data compiled by the Economic Policy Institute. That was up from 51% in 1999 and is the largest such gap in EPI's figures dating to 1973.” (Rugaber para. 2). The statement concludes that the percent income college graduates receive are a little over double what the average income of workers without one and the

The estimation of a college education is under assault. While more U.S. undergrads are enrolled than at any other time, a perfect storm is brewing of soaring costs, rising student debt, and shrinking work prospects; all of which have driven critics to progressively challenge whether schools remain beneficial. In society, a college education is not an option or privilege, but rather a necessity. People are raised and conditioned to believe that one needs higher education in order to succeed in life. It is such a big deal that people also say that college is not worth the cost due to the major uprising of student loan debts. To those who have not attended college, they have missed out on exposing students to diverse people and ideas, better job employment opportunities, and not having to deal with the struggle of lower unemployment rates.

In the discussion of College education, one controversial issue has been whether or not it’s a good idea to attend college. On the one hand, some people argue that a college education is the only way to succeed in life. On the other hand, some people contend that going to college isn’t worth it in the long run, and that you will only put yourself in a huge amount of debt. My view is that college although costly, will have a much greater pay out than not having a degree. My opinion is based on the idea that as the economy continues to change and grow, a degree reassures not only a stable job but also a growing income. There are many reasons why the pro’s out weigh the con’s for attending college.