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This article lists 10 reasons why college is important

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Why Is College Important?
College is important for many reasons, including long-term financial gain, job stability, career satisfaction and success outside of the workplace. ________________________
With more and more occupations requiring advanced education, a college degree is critical to your success in today's workforce. But earning an accredited college degree can also have a significant impact on other areas of your life.

1. College graduates earn more on average.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ( BLS), workers with a bachelor's degree earned an average of $468 per week than workers with only a high school diploma - a higher salary that can add up over the course of your lifetime. A 2015 report from the U.S. Department of Education found the average worker with a bachelor's degree may earn approximately $1 million more than a worker without a postsecondary education.

2. Workers with a college degree are less likely to face unemployment.

In addition to the potential to make more money, earning your college degree could also lead to more career stability. According to BLS data, just 2.2% of workers with a bachelor's degree are facing unemployment, compared to 4.1% of workers with only a high school diploma.

3. College graduates are more likely to experience job satisfaction.

A 2016 Pew Research report found that 77% of workers with a post-graduate degree and 60% of workers with a bachelor's degree believe their job gives them a sense of identity, versus just 38% of those with a high school diploma or less. Workers with a bachelor's degree or more advanced education were are also significantly more to say their job is a career, with 70% viewing their job as a career compared to just 39% of workers with no college education .

4. A college degree can boost your financial savvy.

Working-age adults with bachelor's degrees are 9.4 times more likely to have a bank account than those with a high school diploma as their highest level of education, according to a 2016 report from the Lumina Foundation.

College-educated adults were also less likely to have used expensive forms of credit. Just 2.3% of college-educated adults used pay-day and tax refund loans within the last year, compared to 9.2% of high school graduates without a college education.

5. College degree holders are more likely to be homeowners.

A 2016 report from real estate company Zillow found that 75% of all home buyers were college-educated in that year, compared to just 11% who had a high school diploma only and 14% who attended some college but did not earn a degree.

6. College graduates are more likely to be married (and for longer!)

65% of adults ages 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or more were married in 2014, compared with 53% of adults with less education, according to a 2015 Pew Research Center report.

A degree could mean a longer-lasting marriage, too. According to the report, researchers at the National Center for Health Statistics estimate that 78% of college-educated women who married for the first time between 2006 and 2010 could expect their marriages to last at least 20 years, compared to just 40% of women with a high school education or less.

7. Earn a college education and you could even live a longer life.

Just one additional year of college education can decrease your mortality rate by 15% to 19%, according to a 2016 report by the Brookings Institute. In fact, high school graduates have a mortality rate that is double those with some college or a college degree, the report states.

8. A college degree could also mean better health.

A Lumina Foundation report found that college degree holders demonstrate healthier habits than non-degree holders.

The proportion of adults smoking daily falls significantly with an increase in education, the report states, from 20% of high school graduates without any college education to 5% of those with bachelor's degrees and just 3% of workers with graduate degrees.

The report also found a strong positive relationship between educational attainment and eating fruits and vegetables, exercising and wearing a seat belt.

9. Earning a college degree could even boost your happiness.

94% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher reported being happy or very happy with life, compared to 89% of adults with no college education, according to the Lumina Foundation report.

10. Earn a college degree; be a better citizen.

Earning your college degree can improve the lives of those around you, too. According to the Lumina Foundation report, 40% of working-age adults with a bachelor's degree volunteered in their community within the past year, compared to just 17% of high school graduates without any college education.

College degree holders also donated three times more money to charity than workers without any college education, were 1.5 times as likely to consistently vote in local elections and more than twice as likely to participate in a school, community or religious organization.

Southern New Hampshire University leaders shared their thoughts on why education is important and the impact it has had on their lives.
Susan Bogle is a marketing and student recruitment specialist in higher education. Follow her on Twitter @Suze1776 or connect on LinkedIn.

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College is important for many reasons, including long-term financial gain, job stability, career satisfaction and success outside of the workplace. ________________________ With more and more occupations requiring advanced education, a college degree is critical to your success in today's workforce. But earning an accredited college degree can also have a significant impact on other areas of your life.

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This article tells us the benefits of attending college.

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Why is college important? The value of higher education extends well beyond post-graduate job opportunities and salaries.

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College pros and cons

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Is college necessary? Well, it depends who you ask. From an early age, children are told that if they want to get a good job then they have to go to college. Ingrained in our societal beliefs is that a college education provides more money which leads to success. Numbers back up those beliefs and show that people who attend college and earn a bachelor's degree do make more money than those with a high school diploma.

The data suggests that in order for students to prosper, they need to go to college. The majority of youth are hearing these messages. In 2015, the percentage of students enrolling in college in the fall following high school graduation, was 69 percent. In 2017, some 20.4 million students were projected to attend an American college or university, representing an increase of about 5.1 million since fall 2000. And these numbers are expected to rise over the next decade.

Is college really for everyone and does a degree lead to true happiness? Educational organizations would like for us to think so, but isn't happiness more about discovering our talents, finding our passion and landing a job that embraces our strengths?

What about the student who doesn't have an interest in going to college? Does that mean this student is doomed to an unsuccessful life? There may be a variety of reasons why some students aren't interested in postsecondary education such as:

1. They don't know what they want to do.

2. They need a temporary break from school.

3. They don't believe they need a college education to do what they want to do.

4. They march to the beat of their own drum and live day-by-day.

As difficult if may be for some to admit, college isn't for everyone and that's OK. Just because some youth choose to forgo a college education, that doesn't mean they won't be successful. In fact, there are many successful people who didn't earn a college degree.
5 Successful People Who Didn't Earn a College Degree

Steve Jobs - founder of Apple - dropped out of Reed College after one semester. Jobs legacy has forever left a significant mark on the technological and business industry.

Ellen DeGeneres - dropped out of the University of New Orleans after one semester. Ellen worked hard to make her way to the top as a comedian, television host, actress, writer, producer, and LGBT activist.

Michael Dell - following his parents dreams of him becoming a doctor, he enrolled as a pre-med major and dropped out after completing one year at the University of Texas at Austin. Dell is ranked as the 39th richest person in the world by Forbes, with a net worth of US $23.7 billion as of April 1, 2018.

Rachael Ray - chose to not attend college nor culinary arts school but that didn't stop her from becoming a very successful celebrity chef. Rachael spent most of her life learning the skills she needed in the kitchens and started her first business, a food gift-basket service, while in high school.

Alicia Keys - After graduating as valedictorian from Manhattan's Professional Performing Arts School at 16, she signed a deal with Clive Davis, and attended Columbia University for less than half a semester dropping out to focus on her music.

Some would argue that these artists, entrepreneurs and celebrities are exceptions to the rule. Perhaps that's true, but who's to say that our children aren't an exception? Life's more about helping them find the things that spark their interest and ignite their passion.

What's a parent to do if their child doesn't share the same dream of going to college as they do? Well, forcing them to do something they aren't ready for isn't the answer. Having them give up their dreams to follow ours isn't the answer either. The answer lies in helping our children develop some tangible goals to support their dreams, not ours.
5 Ways to Help Teens Find Their Passion
1. Ask and listen. If we want to know our child's hopes and dreams, all we need to do is ask and then listen. Giving them an opportunity to describe themselves, their interests and their future goals and dreams will help us better know how to help them discover what they want to do in life. The more teens are able to articulate their strengths, hopes and aspirations the more comfortable they become in describing and accepting themselves. Self-acceptance has been linked with overall life satisfaction. And don't we want our kids to be happy in life?

2. Identify hidden talents. Too often our kids may struggle to recognize their talents, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. They may just need to have opportunities to try new things that will unveil these hidden talents. As parents, we can pay close attention to the things that sparks our kids interest, motivates them, and creates a desire learn and do more.

Here are a few ways to help teens discover their hidden talents:

Encourage them to notice the things that they enjoy doing. For example, what kinds of games do they like playing, books do they like reading, shows do they like watching, or music do they like listening to? Also pay attention to the kinds of things they enjoy doing in their spare time for fun, such as cooking, playing a sport, or tinkering in the garage. All of these clues may lead to a hidden talent.

Go through the process of elimination. Sometimes it's easier to identify what we don't like doing as opposed to what we do like doing, and the same is true for teens. What we don't like doing is equally important as it allows us an opportunity to eliminate things from our list and focus more on the things we do like.

Challenge teens to listen for common messages. Tell your kids to listen to what others say about their strengths. It's easy for a teen to dismiss a compliment, but odds are, those compliments have a common pattern. Encourage teens to listen for these patterns.

3. Stop, listen and pay attention. Teach teens to listen to their inner voice. Sometimes the answers to the path that we should follow lies in the silence of self-exploration.

4. Explore and practice. Once kids know what they are good at, encourage them to give it a try. When a teen enjoys doing something, it won't feel like work because it's perceived as being meaningful. When we do things we don't like the hands of time move slowly, but "time flies when you're having fun!"

5. Cultivate experiences. Help teens cultivate their talents and explore various avenues or careers that feed into their strengths. For example, if a teen wants to be in a band and play the guitar, then encourage music lessons, getting into a band, and playing in front of crowds. Also, explore occupations that are centered around guitars like becoming a luthier. There are so many wonderful occupations that tap into similar talents and exposing youth to these opportunities can open a window to endless possibilities.

6. Believe in them. Finally, we need to believe in our kids. We have to set aside our own desires and allow them to achieve theirs, even if that doesn't include college. It's important that we praise our youth regularly for their accomplishments and that we support their dreams for that's what fuels achievement and success.

The neat thing about education is it's always there and people can take advantage of going back to school at any point in their lives. In life, there's no such thing as a perfect course to success. People carve their own unique path and that may or may not include college. I wonder how many youth work hard to become who we want them to be, rather than becoming who they want to be...

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Is college necessary? Well, it depends who you ask. From an early age, children are told that if they want to get a good job then they have to go to college. Ingrained in our societal beliefs is that a college education provides more money which leads to success.

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Top 10 reasons why you shouldn't go to college.

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10 Reasons Not to Go to College | National Association of Scholars

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To College or Not to College Are you a high school student considering whether you should go to college? Although there is a large amount of data showing the long term financial benefits to college, there is much more to college including personal growth, independence, responsibility, world awareness and better career opportunities.

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People state why they think college is useless and this site states why college is not useless.

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As college students, we constantly find ourselves lethargic, overtired, frustrated, stressed, grumpy, hungover, annoyed... basically 40% water, 20% alcohol and 40% pessimism.

Being a full-time student, part-time employee and the occasional life of the party is not an easy schedule to juggle. So, of course, students are going to eventually crash and burn, becoming undeniably negative.

While us students have to keep up that angsty, just want to be 'real' adults reputation, sometimes it would be good for us to reflect upon what makes it all worth it. The experiences and opportunities that have brought us a lifetime of memories and have helped shape us into the soon to be 'real' adults we have longed to be.

Looking back, I have been able to pull out mounds of positives that college has given me. But I don't want another personal article. There are 16 million college students in the United States. I decided to reach out to fellow students. Give others the opportunity to recollect their own positive experiences.

Overwhelmingly, the friends' people have gained during their college experiences have been the cherry on top.

We graduate high school and at the end of that final summer, we tend to leave those we've been with the past 12 years of our lives. Entering into the new chapter, we're forced out of our comfort zones. It is daunting at first, but what we don't think about is EVERYONE else is in the exact same boat.

As college is a time for exploration, we throw ourselves into activities that we think we'll enjoy or find interesting and begin networking a whole new group of friends. This networking though is far from forced and these friends come so naturally. Within weeks we feel like we've known them for years. These new bonds are formed so quickly but their strength is uncanny.

Throughout these new bonds, some see the growth of those around us and in ourselves to be the most positive experience. When beginning to get to know out newfound peers, there is still layers of skin to be peeled back. As quoted by one of my favorite movies, Shrek makes this very clear.

Shrek: "Ogres are like onions."

Donkey: "They stink?"

Shrek: "Yes. No."

Donkey: "Oh, they make you cry."

Shrek: "No."

Donkey: "Oh, you leave em out in the sun, they get all brown, start sproutin' little white hairs."

Shrek: "No. Layers. Onions have layers. Ogres have layers."

It takes time but being able to witness those layers peel back to slowly reveal who we truly are and are meant to be is beautiful. And as you watch others become comfortable with who they are, you simultaneously follow. The whole experience is something you'll cherish forever.

A popular way students put themselves out there is through Greek life. Fraternities and sororities are social organizations that allow students to venture out and meet others with similar interests as well as others with very different interests. From the lifelong friendships to the large array of organized events, the memories created for those involved are some of their bests.

Another huge aspect of college, that falls right under putting yourself out there, is being on your own. Whether in a dorm with a roommate, or an apartment, you're no longer under the roof of your parents. The experience of being on your own is a positive for students because it allows them to experience life without complete or partial rule. You're allowed to feel all the emotions of being fully responsible and seeing yourself grow from the independence. For me, being independent has allowed me to try things I probably wouldn't have at home.

You gain a type of freedom that opens up more opportunity for self-exploration.

And moving away from the more social aspect of college. There was a commonality from students when it came to positive academic experiences. A huge complaint from students is disliking a professor. One little thing can cause an entire semester of dread and reluctance. Every so often we luck out and stumble upon a professor that we connect well with. Enjoying the presence and having a mutual respect for a professor makes a class so much more enjoyable. And more often than not, this leads to better grades because the desire to do well is more prominent.

Coming into college, all you hear is that getting straight A's is not as easy as it was in high school. And that 'you will fail at least one class.' After having that shoved in our faces, getting that A and proving them wrong is huge. There's nothing like being able to give yourself that pat on the back for all that hard work you just put in.

College is a time for living and experiencing. Don't let the drawbacks take over your few short years here. Take the time and embrace all the good that comes from it.

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To The People Who Think College Is Pointless

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As college students, we constantly find ourselves lethargic, overtired, frustrated, stressed, grumpy, hungover, annoyed... basically 40% water, 20% alcohol and 40% pessimism. Being a full-time student, part-time employee and the occasional life of the party is not an easy schedule to juggle. So, of course, students are going to eventually crash and burn, becoming undeniably negative.

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This article discusses how college may not be worth the time or money anymore.

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Opinion | College May Not Be Worth It Anymore (Published 2018)

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For the poor, higher education may hurt more than it helps.

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This article states why college is a waste of time and money and it also says that undergrad students are taking too many courses.

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Undergraduate students are taking too many classes. That may sound like a nice problem to have: Why not learn more than you have to? But consider that the average graduate of a four-year college takes the equivalent of a full extra semester of classes, or an additional 12 to 15 credits, paying thousands of dollars of extra tuition, and for many, incurring debt to do it.

The problem is far more pronounced for community college students, who make up 40 percent of all undergraduate students in the United States. Students who obtain a two-year associate's degree typically complete a whopping 22 excess credits, according to a July 2017 report by Complete College America, an advocacy group that tracks these figures. That's three-quarters of an entire academic year on top of the two-year program. For part-time students, that's years of needless courses.

"It really is an epidemic," said Davis Jenkins, a senior research scholar at the Community College Research Center of Teachers College Columbia University. "Students are entering community colleges to save money, but if you end up taking excess credits, you're not really saving money."

Jenkins plans to release a working paper next month (October 2017) showing that community college students in one state who transfer to four-year schools within their state end up with 29 excess credits. It was 27 credits in another state that Jenkins studied.

Some students, of course, efficiently earn their associate's degrees by taking only what they need, typically 60 credits. But just as many are on the other end of the spectrum, taking over 100 credits to finish.

That's time and money that low-income working students don't have. Many are on federal financial aid, making it a burden on taxpayers as well. Taxpayers incur additional costs because 60 percent of community college budgets are subsidized by state and local governments. One study by the Greater Texas Foundation found that excess credits cost students and taxpayers $120 million annually in that state.

The reasons students take so many unnecessary courses vary. In addition to earning 60 credits overall, community college students need to fulfill certain course requirements, some set by the college and others set by academic departments for each major. It's natural for college students to discover their interests and change majors. When they start something new, there are new required classes and some of the classes they've already taken aren't needed for graduation.

Jenkins says that many community college students arrive undecided. College advisers often suggest they take general education courses, but that doesn't help them explore which subjects to major in. "Students take courses that are available, not according to a plan," said Jenkins. "Most students don't have a plan."

Another reason for excess credits has to do with hanging onto financial aid. A required course might be scheduled when a student is working or doesn't have childcare. So he has to wait until the course timing fits his own schedule. For students who work full time, the wait for an evening or weekend class can be long. However, financial aid rules require students to maintain a certain course load. So the student is forced to take an unnecessary class or two to maintain eligibility. This is a growing problem on many campuses, as colleges are faced with declining enrollments and are reducing the number of sections offered of each class.

Selective programs have the unintended consequence of creating streams of excess credits. For example, it can be competitive to get into a nursing program. Prospective students load up on prerequisites, such as human anatomy, in hopes of being accepted into a nursing program. Many are never admitted, but have racked up courses that they can't apply toward their eventual majors.

For community college students who want to transfer to four-year institutions (80 percent of community college students begin their academic careers with that intention), it's often difficult to transfer credits. Some are not accepted, others are not the exact courses that an academic department requires. For example, a community college calculus course may not fulfill the math requirement for a four-year business degree.

Complete College America looked to see if there were differences by race or income, and found that excess credits are a problem that everyone faces. Asians rack up slightly more excess credits (26 on average) at the end of their two-year degrees, but they also have the highest graduation rates. Hispanic graduates with two-year degrees had the fewest excess credits (19 on average). Pell Grant recipients had an average of 22 excess credits, highlighting the federal subsidy of needless courses.

Many community college administrators are hoping that prescribing specific course schedules, known as "pathways", will cut down on excess credits. But more good ideas are needed.

The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn't mean it's free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
Join us today.

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Wasted time and money on undergraduate classes - The Hechinger Report

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Undergraduate students are taking too many classes. That may sound like a nice problem to have: Why not learn more than you have to? But consider that the average graduate of a four-year college takes the equivalent of a full extra semester of classes, or an additional 12 to 15 credits, paying thousands of dollars ...

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This article asks the question, is a college education worth it? Then the article lists 17 pros and 17 cons for this question.

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History of College Education
The American debate over whether a college education is worth it began when the colonists arrived from Europe and founded "New College" (later renamed Harvard University) in 1636. In spring 2023, there were over 17 million college students in the United States, and over 43 million borrowers owe a collective $1.75 trillion in total student debt.

Colonial America produced nine colleges that still operate: Harvard University (1636), the College of William & Mary (1693), Yale University (1701), Princeton University (1746), Columbia University (1754), Brown University (1764), Dartmouth College (1769), Rutgers University (1766), and the University of Pennsylvania (1740 or 1749). These universities were funded by the colony or England and usually catered to a specific religious denomination such as Congregational or Presbyterian (Puritan). Primary and secondary school systems were not yet established so "college students" were sometimes boys as young as fourteen or fifteen years old and were admitted to receive preparatory education with the assumption that they would matriculate to college-level courses

Pro & Con Arguments

Pro 1

Jobs increasingly require college degrees and college allows students to explore careers and earn better job placements.

Colleges offer career services, internships, job shadowing, job fairs, and volunteer opportunities in addition to a wide variety of courses that may provide a career direction. Over 80% of college students complete internships before graduation, giving them valuable employment experience before entering the job market. Colleges provide networking value.

Meanwhile, college graduates have more and better employment opportunities. 85.2% of college freshmen said they attended college to "be able to get a better job." The unemployment rate for Americans over 25 with a bachelor's degree was 1.9% in Dec. 2019, compared to 2.7% for those with some college or associate's degrees, 3.7% for high school graduates, and 5.2% for high school drop-outs. Underemployment, meaning insufficient work, is lower for college grads (6.2%) as compared to high school-only graduates (12.9%) and people without a high school diploma (18.7%). 58% of college graduates and people with some college or associate's degrees reported being "very satisfied" with their jobs compared to 50% of high school graduates and 40% of people without a high school diploma.

Thus, college graduates make more money. The average college graduate makes $570,000 more than the average high school graduate over a lifetime. Career earnings for college graduates are 71% to 136% higher than those of high school graduates. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York calculated a 14% rate of return on a bachelor's degree, which constitutes a good investment. College graduates earn an average of $78,000, a 75% wage premium over the average $45,000 annual earnings for workers with only a high school diploma. 85% of Forbes' America's 400 Richest People list were college grads.

All of that means a college education has a high return as an investment. Return on investment (ROI) is calculated by dividing the gain from an investment (here the money earned as a result of a college degree) by the cost of the investment (the money spent on a college degree). A college degree has a return of 15% per year as an investment, larger than the stock market (6.8%) and housing (0.4%). Completing some college, but not earning a degree, resulted in a 9.1% return on investment. If a student spent $17,860 (the average cost of tuition and room and board in 2012-2013 for four years at a public university), that student could expect a 15% return of $2,679 each year. According to a 2011 Pew Research survey, 86% of college graduates believed college was a good personal investment.
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Pro 2

Because they learn interpersonal and other skills in college, graduates are more productive as members of society.

Students have the opportunity to interact with other students and faculty, to join student organizations and clubs, and to take part in discussions and debates. According to Arthur Chickering's "Seven Vectors" student development theory, "developing mature interpersonal relationships" is one of the seven stages students progress through as they attend college. Students ranked "interpersonal skills" as the most important skill used in their daily lives in a survey of 11,000 college students. Vivek Wadhwa, technology entrepreneur and scholar, states, "American children party [in college]. But you know something, by partying, they learn social skills. They learn how to interact with each other...They develop skills which make them innovative. Americans are the most innovative people in the world because of the education system." [ 7] [ 16] [ 18]

Students live, go to classes, and socialize with other students from around the world and learn from professors with a variety of expertise. The community of people on a college campus means students are likely to make diverse friends and business connections, and, potentially, find a spouse or mate. Access to a variety of people allows college students to learn about different cultures, religions, and personalities they may have not been exposed to in their hometowns, which broadens their knowledge and perspective. 70.7% of college freshmen in 2015 said they expected to socialize with someone of another racial or ethnic group while in college, while 59.1% said college would help improve their understanding of other countries and cultures.

College graduates attract higher-paying employers to their communities. A 1% increase in college graduates in a community increases the wages of workers without a high school diploma by 1.9% and the wages of high school graduates by 1.6%.
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Pro 3

College graduates and their children are healthier and live longer.

83% of college graduates reported being in excellent health, while 73% of high school graduates reported the same. A University of Southern California study found that adults over 65 with college degrees spent more years with "good cognition" and fewer years suffering from dementia than adults who did not complete high school. In 2008, 20% of all adults were smokers, while 9% of college graduates were smokers. 63% of 25 to 34 year old college graduates reported exercising vigorously at least once a week compared to 37% of high school graduates. College degrees were linked to lower blood pressure in a 30-year peer-reviewed study and lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) by a Carnegie Mellon Psychology department study. In 2008, 23% of college graduates aged 35 to 44 years old were obese compared to 37% of high school graduates. College graduates, on average, live six years longer than high school graduates.

A medical journal study from 1970 to 2009 shows college graduates had lower infant mortality rates than high school graduates. Mothers with only a high school education are 31% more likely to give birth to a low-birth-weight baby than a woman with a college degree. Children aged 2 to 5 years old in households headed by college graduates have a 6% obesity rate compared to 14% for children in households headed by high school graduates. 18% more children aged 3 to 5 years old with mothers who have a bachelor's degree could recognize all letters compared to children of high school graduates. In 2010, 59% of children in elementary and middle school with at least one college graduate for a parent participated in after-school activities like sports, arts, and scouting compared to 27% for high school graduate parents.
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Con 1

College is not a guarantee of a job or better life.

College degrees also do not guarantee learning or job preparation. Many students graduate from college with little understanding of math, reading, civics, or economics. In 2011, 35% of students enrolled in college reported they studied 5 hours or less per week and there was a 50% decline in the number of hours a student studied and prepared for classes compared to a few decades ago. 36% of students demonstrated no significant improvement on Collegiate Learning Assessments after 4 years of college. In 2013 56% of employers thought half or fewer of college graduates had the skills and knowledge to advance within their companies. 30% of college graduates felt college did not prepare them well for employment, specifically in terms of technical and quantitative reasoning skills. A Pew Research survey found that 57% of Americans felt higher education did not provide students with good value compared to the money spent.

Under- or un-employement also translates into fewer workplace benefits. In 2013, 68.9% of employed new college graduates did not receive health insurance through their employers and, in 2011, 27.2% received retirement coverage (down from 41.5% in 2000).

The total cost of going to college means more than tuition, fees, and books; it also includes an opportunity cost which equals at least four years of missed wages and advancements from a full-time job-about $49,000 for a 4-year degree and $20,000 for a 2-year degree.
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Con 2

Student loan debt is crippling for college graduates, their families, and society.

In spring 2023, there were over 17 million college students in the United States, and over 43 million borrowers owe a collective $1.75 trillion in total student debt. 45% of people with student loan debt say college was not worth it. 10% of students graduate with over $40,000 in debt and about 1% have $100,000 in debt. In Feb. 2018, undergraduate college graduates had an average of $37,172 in loan debt. According to the US Congress Joint Economic Committee, approximately 60% of college graduates have student loan debt balances equal to 60% of their annual income. Missing late for loan payments leads to lower credit scores and additional fees, worsening the debt problem.

Finally, student debt could cause another financial crisis. As of 2012 student loan debt was over $1 trillion dollars, and more than 850,000 student loans were in default. According to the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, student loans are "beginning to have the same effect" on the economy that the housing bubble and crash created. Former Secretary of Education William Bennett, PhD, agrees that the student loan debt crisis "is a vicious cycle of bad lending policies eerily similar to the causes of the subprime mortgage crisis." On Feb. 3, 2012, an advisory council to the Federal Reserve also warned that the growth in student debt "has parallels to the housing crisis." As of Jan. 2013, the rate of default on student loans hit 15.1%-a nearly 22% increase since 2007.
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Con 3

Many people would be better served learning a trade or pursuing work right out of high school.
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Did You Know?

1. 19.9 million students were enrolled in colleges and universities in 2019, compared to 13.5 million in 1990, 7.9 million in 1970, and 2.7 million in 1949.

2. The underemployment rate was 34% for all college graduates and 41.1% for recent grads in 2019.

3. One in three college graduates had a job that only required a high school diploma or less, including more than 16,000 parking lot attendants, 83,000 bartenders, and 115,000 janitors with bachelor's degrees.

4. College graduates earn an average of $78,000, a 75% wage premium over the average $45,000 annual earnings for workers with only a high school diploma.

5. The unemployment rate for Americans over 25 with a bachelor's degree was 1.9% in Dec. 2019, compared to 2.7% for those with some college or associate's degrees, 3.7% for high school graduates, and 5.2% for high school drop-outs.

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Proponents of college education say college graduates make more money. Opponents say student loan debt is crippling for college graduates.

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Article explains some major benefits and potential drawbacks of attending college.

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The decision to attend college is a big one. Getting a college degree takes time: at least four years for most people. Getting a college degree also costs money: tens of thousands of dollars for most people. You may be asking yourself, "Is it worth it? Should I go to college?"

In this article, I'll explain the benefits of going to college and detail some of the potential drawbacks. Furthermore, I'll give you all the information you need to decide whether or notyou should pursue a college degree.

The Benefits of Going to College

Going to college can make you richer, happier, and healthier. Sounds good to me.

Financial and Career Benefits

On average, college graduates with a bachelor's degree earn up to 56% more per year than those with a high school diploma or its equivalent and 31% more than those with an associate degree.

One of the most cited statistics that emphasizes the benefits of a college education is that, on average, a person with a bachelor's degree will earn almost $1 million more over the course of her lifetime than somebody with just a high school diploma. While I'm not someone who thinks money should be the biggest priority in your life, a higher salary will give you more opportunities, alleviate stress, and allow you to more easily support a family.

Also, college-educated Millennials have much lower unemployment and poverty rates. According to a Pew Research study in 2013, 12.2% of Millennials from the ages of 25-32 with only a high school diploma were unemployed while only 3.8% of those with at least a bachelor's degree were unemployed. Furthermore, those who attended college are more likely to be married and less likely to be living in their parent's home. Statistics show that going to college has more economic benefits for Millennials than it did for previous generations. Going to college may be more important now than ever before.

Finally, a college degree is required for many entry-level jobs. According to a study by the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, by 2020, 65% of all jobs will require postsecondary education and training beyond high school, and 35% of the job openings will require at least a bachelor's degree.

During college, you can make connections that will help you land a good job after you graduate. Experts estimate that 70%-80% of jobs aren't advertised publicly . Often, you have to know the right people to secure employment.

In college, you can meet people and make connections that will help you secure a good job in the future. Many companies offer internship programs for college students that can lead to full-time employment after you graduate.

Also, most colleges offer free career counseling and can put you in touch with employers and alumni who can help you get a job. Additionally, colleges will often have job fairs where recruiters come to campus looking for qualified college students to work for their companies. These fairs give you an opportunity to make relationships with company representatives who can assist you professionally after you graduate.

Lastly, many of your college peers will probably go on to professional success. Your college friends may one day be able to offer you a job, refer you for a job, or do a lucrative business deal with you. In college, you're likely to be surrounded by motivated, talented people. In the future, they're probably going to want to work with those whom they know and trust.

Explore Your Interests

College opens up a whole new world to you academically. In high school, you generally only have a choice of a handful of elective classes, but in college, you can literally choose between hundreds of classes and majors. While there are core requirements at most colleges, for the most part, you can decide what you want to study and take classes in subjects you want to learn more about. Many people are able to spark academic passions in college.

You can take classes in anthropology, psychology, sociology, microbiology and osteology. I have friends and former students who were inspired by college classes that positively changed the course of their academic and professional lives.

Also, while you're in college, you have the chance to pursue tons of extracurricular activities and opportunities you may not otherwise have. These activities can become lifelong passions, help you form meaningful relationships, and prepare you for a future job.

You can write for the campus newspaper. You can be a DJ on the campus radio station. You can dance for the hip-hop group. You can join campus organizations that provide tutoring to underprivileged kids or help build houses for those in need. You can work on political campaigns or join groups that advocate for various social issues.

Howard Stern started his career working at the radio station at Boston University.
Have Fun and Make Friends

Almost everybody I know enjoyed their college experience. Too often, people discount the importance of fun, and some of my best memories and most fun times are from my college years. On your college campus, you can attend parties, plays, sporting events, concerts, and create your own random fun with your peers.

Most colleges bring exciting events and speakers to campuses. Colleges will often host famous and touring musicians and comedians. For example, The Weeknd has done shows at Syracuse, Northeastern, Lafayette College, and the University of Minnesota. Drake has performed at numerous colleges, including Howard, SUNY Purchase, and the University of Kentucky.

Also, world-renowned academics and political figures will give speeches on campus to college students. Hillary Clinton recently made appearances at Philander Smith College in Little Rock and Morningside College in Sioux City. This past year, Ben Carson spoke at Alma College in Michigan.

Colleges will also sponsor parties and other on-campus events that are just meant to be fun and facilitate social interaction. At Stanford, there's a tradition known as Full Moon on the Quad. On the first full moon of the school year, students gather in the quad, and the seniors welcome the freshmen to campus by kissing them. There's a lot of kissing. It may not be hygienic, but it is memorable.

Most of my best friends are people whom I met during college. In college, you get to befriend people from all regions of the US and from other countries. A big part of the college experience is having the opportunity to learn from and interact with people from such diverse backgrounds.

You have the chance to study, live, party, and participate in extracurricular activities with your peers. There will probably be no other time in your life when you get to spend as much time with your friends, and the amount of quality time you get to spend with them will form the foundation for meaningful lifelong friendships.

Self-Improvement

For many college students, college is the first time in their lives when they're not living at home. During college, they learn to be self-sufficient. They learn domestic skills, budgeting, and how to motivate themselves without parental encouragement. At the same time, most college students can still go home or call home if they're in need of some money or advice.

Many of the people I know who didn't go to college remained at home for at least a couple of years after high school. While they had more freedom than during high school, their routines and mindsets didn't change nearly as drastically as those of my friends who went to college. In my experience, even students who live at home and commute to college experience more growth than those who bypass college.

Also, whether you go to an in-state college or head across the country for school, your college is likely to expose you to a new city and environment. I grew up in California, but Stanford was a 6 hour drive from where I grew up. I was able to experience life in Northern California and the San Francisco Bay Area, which has a different vibe, culture, and climate from Los Angeles. I enjoyed living in the bay, and I'm grateful that I was able to have the opportunity to live in a different environment.

Furthermore, most colleges have study-abroad programs that give you a chance to take classes in countries around the world. At Emerson College, you can spend a semester in a 14th century medieval castle in The Netherlands. At the University of Chicago, you can study in Paris, Beijing, Barcelona, Berlin, Kyoto, Bologna, Cairo, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Edinburgh, Hong Kong, London, Oaxaca, Vienna, Milan, and a few other places, too. You can learn about the world by traveling and studying in countries around the world.

Finally, people who go to college tend to be healthier. According to a CDC report , people who have a bachelor's degree live about 9 years longer than those who don't. They're also less likely to smoke and more likely to exercise. And, according to a study published by the American Journal of Public Health , people who get a bachelor's degree after 25 years of age have fewer depressive symptoms and better self-rated health at midlife.

College and apples are good for your health.
Possible Disadvantages of Attending College

Even though college can offer you so many benefits, there are some potential drawbacks of attending college.

Also, you only get many of the benefits of going to a college if you're able to graduate. In 2013, only 56% of students who enrolled in college as first-time students in the fall of 2007 had earned a degree or certificate.

Costs and Potential Debt

College is really expensive, with the costs continuing to rise, and many college graduates are burdened with astronomical student loan debt. The College Board reported that the cost of attendance for an in-state public college for the 2014-2015 academic year averaged $23,410. The cost of attendance at a private college averaged $46,272. Remember, though, that most students receive financial aid that covers at least part of the cost of attendance if they demonstrate financial need.

However, many students don't receive the financial aid they need to fully cover the costs and they take on unsubsidized student loans to finance their education. Student loan debt has gone from $260 billion in 2004 to $1.2 trillion in 2014. Average debt per student jumped from $18,650 to $33,000. Student loan debt can dramatically impact your life after your graduate. It can affect the jobs you take and cause you to delay buying a house or starting a family.

The Financial Benefits of College May Be Overstated

The fact that college grads earn $1 million more may be skewed by graduates from the top universities. A study by PayScale.com found that there are only 72 schools (out of 2,700 4-year schools) at which earning a college degree can get you a $1 million return on investment. According to the report, the median is $500,000. Basically, the reported number that college graduates make $1 million more over the course of their professional lives is more accurately half of that number for the average college grad.

Also, while most people are in college, they're not working or only working part-time. In addition to the financial costs and debt you may be incurring while you're in college, you probably won't be able to get the salary you could be making from a full-time job during the 4-6 years you're likely to be in school.

College Might Not Make You Smarter

A study published in 2011 showed that 45% of 2,322 traditional-age college students studied from 2005-2009 made no significant improvement in their critical thinking, reasoning, or writing skills during the first two years of college. After four years, 36% showed no significant gains. Given the cost of attending college, you would hope that higher education would have a dramatically positive effect on these skills for all students.

Should I Go to College? How to Make the Right Choice for You

Admittedly, I'm somewhat biased because I've spent years stressing the importance of attending college to high school students. However, I recognize that college may not be for everyone. Other than the pros and cons of college I mentioned previously, here are some additional factors to consider when deciding whether or not to attend college.

Very Few College Graduates Regret Going to College

Keep in mind that the vast majority of college graduates are glad they went to college. Many college grads have debt and some have a job they could have gotten without their degrees, but very few people regret going to college. According to data from the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers, only 3% of college graduates from 2006-2011 wish they had not gone to college.

You'll Have More Options With a College Degree

You may be planning on entering a trade that doesn't require a college degree and will provide you with a good salary and benefits. However, if you end up deciding that you don't like that field after a few years and you don't have a college degree, your employment options will be limited. Also, if you take up a trade that requires physical labor and you suffer an injury, you may struggle to find work without a college degree.

There Are Ways to Pay

You may be turned off by college because of how much you think it will cost you. Remember that you may not know your out-of-pocket expenses until you get accepted to college and receive your financial aid . There are grants and scholarships that can alleviate the financial burden and make college affordable for you.

You May Not Need College if You're Already Successful

If you're one of those rare people who has already achieved tremendous professional success before attending college, then going to college may not benefit you much financially. If you get drafted in the first round of the draft by Major League Baseball and you're offered a multi-million dollar signing bonus, nobody would fault you for bypassing college. You can always take college classes in the off-season or get your college degree when you're done with your playing career.

If you're a mini Mark Zuckerberg or starring in your own sitcom, going to college may not lead to a higher income or a better job after you graduate. Bill Gates and Miley Cyrus were able to do okay professionally without a college degree.

You May Not Be Academically Inclined

Most people are capable of doing college-level work if they're motivated and apply themselves. However, some people just detest school or don't have the aptitude to do well in a college environment.

Keep in mind, though, that college gives you so much more freedom than high school to explore your academic interests and find the areas of study in which you can excel. Similarly, if there is a subject that confuses you and you absolutely abhor, you can probably, for the most part, avoid taking classes in that subject when you're in college.

wecometolearn/flickr
Conclusion

College offers many financial, professional, and personal benefits. Numerous studies have shown that college graduates have much better financial and job prospects than those who don't attend college. Very few people regret going to college despite the tremendous amount of student debt and the less than ideal economy for recent college graduates.

If you're worried about the cost of going to college, make sure you know about financial aid and how to limit your debt when you graduate. College is an investment that pays off for the vast majority of people who graduate.

Admittedly, some people don't need college to achieve their personal or professional goals. You can be successful without a college degree, but college graduates tend to fare much better. If you're considering college, make the decision that will benefit you the most now and in the future.

What's Next?

If you decide you want to go to college, find out how to apply.

Also, if you don't think you'll be able to get into college, check out these open admission colleges and the colleges with the highest acceptance rates.

Finally, if you still need to take the SAT, check out our ultimate SAT study guide.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

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Should You Go to College? 4 Pros and 3 Cons

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The decision to attend college is a big one. Getting a college degree takes time: at least four years for most people. Getting a college degree also costs money: tens of thousands of dollars for most people. You may be asking yourself, "Is it worth it? Should I go to college?"

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Most successful people explain why having a college degree is worthless

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The Most Successful People Explain Why a College Degree is USELESS

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Life noggin a YouTube channel, discusses pros and cons of attending college.

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On TedTalk, Whitney, a school teacher discusses why college does not mean success.

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College doesn’t equate success...Trust me, I’m a teacher | Melanie Whitney | TEDxCSULB

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Benefits of earning a college degree

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by Becton Loveless

Earning a college degree is such an important step in life that it has become a central part of the "American Dream". Go to college, get a job, buy a house, raise a family. It may not always be that simple, but it all starts with your college education.

Earning a college degree is all about opening up opportunities in life. It prepares you, both intellectually and socially, for your career and your adult life. The benefits of a college education include career opportunities like better paying and higher skilled jobs, but studies have shown that it also leads to overall happiness and stability.

Many people know that they want to attend college, but don't know exactly why, or how it will enrich their lives. Below are some of the many benefits of earning a college degree.

1. Make More Money

For most people, the ability to earn more money is the driving force behind going to college. A post-secondary degree, whether it is a bachelor's, master's or PhD, is the most common route to careers that demand higher skills and offer higher pay.

Studies show that college graduates earn significantly more money throughout their lifetime than those with only high school education.

According to a national report by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (sheeo.org), high school graduates earn an average of almost $30,000 per year. Bachelor's graduates earn an average of just over $50,000 a year. And those with a higher level degree (master's, doctorate or professional) average nearly $70,000 per year. This translates to a significant earnings gap over the course of one's life.

Earnings potential varies depending on what field you work in. For example, a master's degree in education or nursing won't lead to nearly as much wealth as a master's degree in engineering or business. But education and nursing are far and away the most in-demand professions out there. If you enter one of these fields, you're likely to find a good job somewhere - even if it doesn't pay as well a job in engineering or business.

There is still an income disparity in gender and race. White males tend to make more money than their non-white-male counterparts. But relative to all gender and racial demographics, earnings potential still increases dramatically with a college degree.

2. Benefits for You and Your Family

Obviously, higher income is a primary benefit of earning your college degree. But most jobs that require a bachelor's, master's, doctoral or professional degree tend to also provide more benefits. This can include health care, retirement investment, travel and other perks. These types of benefits are rarely offered for high-school-level jobs.

Part of the reason employment benefits are so important is because they offer stability for your family, especially in the case of health care. They are called benefits, but in reality, they are a vital part of anyone's salary. In some cases, the value of benefits even exceeds an employee's take-home pay.

The benefits of a college education also extend beyond generations. Families of college graduates are generally better off economically and socially. But it is also more likely that the next generation of children will attend college. So you can look at it as an investment in the future of your family.

3. Better Career Opportunities

Earning a college degree is the most common pathway to a better career. Entering college, not everyone knows what they want to do when they grow up. But most know they want to have a better job-not only one that will pay more, but one in which they are more satisfied and secure. That combination of benefits is why so many people make the investment of time and money to go to college.

Oftentimes it's not necessarily what you study, but the fact that you studied something at all. Aside from training you in an expert field, college trains you to think analytically, understand complex subjects and communicate your own critical ideas about them. It also instills crucial skills like organization, self-discipline and the ability to complete tasks from start to finish. In other words, college helps mold you into a more professional individual.

Because college gives you a broad range of skills, many college graduates end up in fields that are not what they studied in school. College can open up unexpected opportunities that aren't always there for those who haven't engaged in a higher level of education.

In today's economy, employment options are shrinking for people who only have a high school diploma. A large majority of high school graduates work in the service industry, in low paying jobs that don't offer many opportunities for advancement. College graduates, on the other hand, tend to have skills that qualify them for a broad range of employment in fields that offer more upward mobility.

4. Job Security and Satisfaction

Having a post-secondary degree typically leads to better job security. Let's face it: if you don't have a degree, you're probably not as valuable to your employer. When push comes to shove it will be much easier to replace you with someone else who only completed high school.

In fact, an educated staff is so important to some companies that they will even pay for employees' tuition. This is how valuable a college degree can be. It is seen as an investment that will bring substantial rewards, not only to the employee, but to the company as well.

Data shows that in an economic recession, college graduates are less vulnerable to layoffs. The people who suffer the most from job cuts are lower level employees who only have high school diplomas. There are no guarantees, but if you have a college degree you will be less likely to suffer long-term unemployment.

As a college graduate, it is also more likely that you will enjoy your job. All the factors listed above-higher income, employment benefits and advancement opportunities-lead to better job satisfaction. But a college degree also gives you more freedom to pursue a career that interests you, maybe even inspires you.

5. An Investment in Your Future

Attending college is a major commitment of time and money, but it is also a down payment on success. Earning your college degree will help you realize your goals in your career as well as life in general. It requires a lot of hard work, but that work prepares you for a challenging and rewarding career and a more fruitful life.

6. Networking

It's quite easy to think of the benefits of a college degree in terms of future earnings and promotion opportunities. However, what's spoken of less frequently is the role that networking can play in these opportunities. People often get jobs based on recommendations made by my friends, while in other cases, having a professional network can help people learn about upcoming job opportunities before others do. The truth is that creating a professional network can mean the difference between finding a job or getting a promotion, and those networks start forming in college.

On your way to a degree, you can either passively sit through courses before leaving for the day or become active with your fellow students. Colleges are filled with volunteer organizations and professional societies where you can meet others who are in your field. Through these contacts, you may learn about opportunities while you're still in school. This might include internship opportunities and other chances to get real world experience that will look good on your resume.

These same contacts may be able to link you to resources that will help you better understand your field. By connecting with these people, you can more quickly learn about your field while you're in school. They may provide access to resources that include books or even professionals that you can talk to who can help you learn more about the industry you hope to enter.

Of course, the most helpful aspect of making these connections is likely the recommendations they will make to their employers on their behalf. It's not uncommon in businesses for managers to first look internally for potential hires. Your professional contacts may be able to suggest you as a recommendation when businesses start hiring, giving you an advantage when it comes to being hired by a company in your field.

7. Personal Development

A college degree is helpful for many practical reasons, ranging from your increased competitiveness to the increased likeliness that you'll be promoted within your job. However, people underestimate the degree of personal growth that they'll experience as they're working through their degree. A college education requires students to overcome all types of adversity and prepares them not only for the workplace, but for dealing with many of life's challenges.

Time management and organization, for example, are just two examples of the skills that you're likely to pick up during your time in college. Both are needed to successfully navigate the many courses you'll be taken while also successfully tackling the tasks before you. Test, quiz, and homework dates can all become confusing when you're dealing with multiple classes. Good organization can help you manage all of your responsibilities, and it's a skill that will be useful once you have your degree. Not only is it useful in the workplace, but it can help you manage your personal responsibilities at home. Even simple tasks like bill payments are made easier when you can properly track what is due and when.

Of course, on a larger level, the sort of personal development you'll experience will largely be related to overcoming adversity. College requires that you overcome one challenge after another, ranging from financial responsibilities to passing tests or completing projects. You'll need to be not only intelligent but disciplined in order to complete your schooling. These traits are often developed slowly throughout college. As you learn how to better respond to stress and adversity, you'll slowly find that you're better able to deal with adversity in a number of situations.

8. Higher Likeliness of High Quality Benefits

As the economy improves, companies find it harder and harder to attract top talent. The reason why is that, as the economy improves, businesses need to hire more. That puts highly qualified employees in high demand. In turn, these employees are more easily able to say no to one company in favor of another.

This is especially true with a college degree, which prepares employees with a number of skills that make them more highly qualified. The more highly qualified, the more likeliness that they'll be in high demand. To lure these kinds of employees, businesses will often try to lure them incentives other than just good pay. These incentives include benefits packages that include more vacation time and better healthcare options.

One of the best parts of getting your college degree is the access it gives you to high quality benefits and perks. Employers will often offer to cover more healthcare costs or offer more vacation time to lure highly qualified employees. In other cases, they may offer better retirement investment options that will make life after retirement easier. These kinds of packages take some of the responsibility for saving for a rainy day off of the shoulders of these employees.

Individuals with a college degree are more often economically well off not only because they're paid better but because they have to worry less about sinking the majority of their money into healthcare or retirement funds. For many people, this paves the way for more easily preparing for a family and saving for a child's college. Even for people who don't plan to have families, the savings from better benefits packages makes it easier for them to save money for personal enjoyment, like traveling or investing into a hobby.

Some College Majors Promise Better Future Than Others

A degree in art might not lead to a career with a six figure salary but where would society be if everyone became an engineer. We need artists too, don't we? Does it really matter what college major you pursue? Well, a lot of people didn't think so until recently. Due to falling post-graduate employment numbers and rising cost of tuition, many people are beginning to rethink the value of certain majors and degree programs. Many researchers are now investigating which majors provide a decent return on investment and which don't. Not surprisingly, you could probably guess what researchers have discovered.

Without fail, students who major in STEM fields - science, technology, engineering and math - find jobs quicker, earn more money, and experience more job stability than students who earn degrees in liberal arts and humanities fields. In a tight job market, or during a recession, recent graduates with degrees in social sciences, humanities or liberal arts can find it challenging to find gainful employment.

While the answer to the dilemma seems very straight forward to most - earn a degree in a field with high earning potential - some argue that the answer isn't so simple. A few educators at Oregon State University, suggest that forcing people into a major, such as computer science, simply because it yields a relatively high financial return on investment may create shortages in occupation that are just as important to the economic future of our country. These same educators also assert that it's not fair to compare STEM majors head to head with more non-technical majors because students interested in degrees in the social sciences, humanities or liberal arts might be looking for personal rewards that are not financial in nature.

The reality is, not all degrees are equal. But you may be surprised to find how valuable different degrees actually are. A recent report published by the Georgetown Public Policy Institute (GPPI), a leading public policy program at Georgetown University, found majors yielding some of the lowest unemployment rates are chemistry, finance and nursing. While recent graduates of engineering, mathematics, and computer science programs demanded the highest starting salaries ($56,000+), unemployment rates in these job sectors were about average. It came as no surprise that anthropology, photography and film majors experienced some of the highest rates of unemployment just out of college, however, the report also showed that students who majored in architecture and information systems also experienced relatively high unemployment rates as well. Students who majored in fine arts have some of the lowest starting salaries of any group.

A study produced by the Employment Department for the state of Oregon corroborated the findings published by GPPI - job opportunities for nursing, engineering and computer science majors were substantially greater than those who majored in architecture, arts, and related fields.

Notwithstanding all the evidence, a tough job market, and the increasing cost of attending college, hoards of students are still enrolling in social science, humanities and liberal arts majors. In some states the number of students enrolled in social science, fine arts or humanities majors outnumbers students majoring in STEM fields 10 to 1.

Proponents of non-STEM majors argue that a good liberal arts education develops well-rounded students that can succeed in any number of jobs. Proponents of STEM majors point out that many students opt for liberal arts majors because they are not as difficult and require less work to get good grades. However, all agree that acquiring leadership, communication, analytical and problems solving skills in college is what's most important to future success - regardless of how it occurs.

Whichever educational path students choose to pursue, one thing is clear, they must be better prepared to face an increasingly competitive job market and turn their college education into a winning proposition.

Read also:
- Return on Investment (ROI) by Education Level
- The Value of a College or University Degree
- Are For-Profit Colleges Worth the Money?

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Explore the many benefits of earning a college degree, including higher pay, job security and better career opportunities.

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Reasons why college is a bad investment

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Hating on universities and the uselessness of their degrees is trendy. A quick Google search will offer you hundreds of rants detailing the pointlessness of secondary education. Yet while college has become a bad investment, it's likely not for the reasons you have in mind.

Not so long ago, young adults were sent to college for the purpose of becoming educated, socially aware members of society. The goal of a college education was the learning process itself and the acquisition of beneficial knowledge.

But something changed. Along the way, colleges realized that their graduates were given priority in the job market. College diplomas transitioned from simple indications of education to bargaining chips holding measurable monetary value. People started noticing the increase in net value associated with a college degree.

And just like any other private business, colleges across the country responded to rising demand with significantly higher prices. At this point -- at this price -- college was no longer simply an educational experience; it became an investment.

Today, young adults pay thousands of dollars to colleges for one reason: to get jobs. And yet every year, too many kids are walking off their campuses with expensive degrees and no jobs.

It's no secret that our economy is in a tough spot. It would make sense that much of the flak directed at universities is simply the result of frustration with our high unemployment rate. But few are looking past the temporary issues and discerning that a complete overhaul is needed.

Here are the real reasons why college is a bad investment:
1. It's debatable whether colleges even offer valuable information anymore
The course hours a student invests in a degree can typically be divided into thirds: major-specific courses, mandatory courses and electives. For the major-specific third, courses are based on information required to prepare you for a career in that field. Outside of a job context, the information has little value.

The electives third is impossible to categorize. If an academic can publish a paper on a topic, he or she can teach a course on it. You can find offerings on everything from insect anatomy to dinosaur history. And while taking that Web design class is probably the most productive thing you'll do in school, it's going to be difficult demonstrating how your History of Rock and Roll elective has transformed you into a more valuable member of society.

The final, mandatory third is comprised of the courses your institution requires all graduates to complete. For most colleges, this section of your degree is the closest you'll actually come to the traditional idea of a liberal arts education. This is where the bulk of your educational value is supposed to be derived.

Unfortunately, quality tends to follow the money, and these courses are no longer the breadwinners for their universities. The vast majority are taught by graduate students, and even if you're lucky enough to get an actual professor, he or she is likely using the university as a research grant and completely uninterested in being an effective instructor. You'll probably end up reading bullet points from a textbook or PowerPoint written 10 years ago.
2. The educational value you do receive can easily be acquired elsewhere
The legitimate value of a university lies in its professors. You're paying people to teach you because, theoretically, they have experience you don't, information you need and the ability to impart all of this to you. If every course was taught by a quality professor, I wouldn't be writing this article; I'd be re-enrolling for an additional degree.

But the opposite tends to be true in today's secondary education system. I graduated from a major program that was ranked third in the country, at a school that is considered one of the country's finest public universities. Yet most of my instructors were incompetent grad students, uninterested professors or ineffective communicators. That may seem harsh, but consider that for three-quarters of the courses I took, not a single piece of beneficial information was provided by the instructor that couldn't be found in the textbooks.

If the professors aren't providing the educational value, there is none, because everything else can be acquired via the textbooks or with a simple online search.
3. For 90 percent of careers, all required skills are learned on the job
"That's all well and good," you say, "but we're attending college to get a job, so aren't the major-specific courses worth the expense?"

For a handful of careers, yes. If you plan on going into engineering, public accounting or psychology, the major-specific undergraduate courses you'll take are essentially required training. You can't start down these career paths without acquiring an undergraduate degree.

For most careers, however, job-related skills are learned through an entry-level position. This is why music majors make up the highest percentage of medical school applicants. It's why biology majors end up in law firms and why anyone still dares to get a philosophy degree. You learn what you need to learn on the job, rendering your degree useless on a practical level.
Is there any reason to get a degree?
If you aren't going to be an engineer, you aren't going to learn anything and you aren't going to receive any actual job skills, is there any reason to go to college? Here's where we discover the truth about our secondary education system.

For the last few decades, college degrees served as a guarantee for mediocre employees to make middle-class money. But the middle class is on the decline. Those who have acquired and perfected a skill set are rising to the top of the economic ladder, while those who put their trust in the pay-to-be-hired system are finding themselves with nowhere to climb.

If you must go to college, there's still a chance at stability with a college degree. As the economy picks back up and more mid-level jobs open up, many will fool themselves into thinking the system works -- until the next downturn, when the value providers will further separate themselves. Degree holders across the country will watch their savings deteriorate as they wait for the next upswing of mediocre jobs.

If you don't want that to be you, use your time and money to learn a marketable skill and then spend the rest of your life perfecting it rather than throwing a ton of money into a degree.
Jacob McMillen is the proudly regretful owner of an accounting degree. He writes blogs on everything from awesome manly topics to Chicago injury law firms and enjoys thinking in his spare time.
Brazen Life is a lifestyle and career blog for ambitious young professionals. Hosted by Brazen Careerist, we offer edgy and fun ideas for navigating the changing world of work. Be Brazen!

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The Real Reasons College Is a Bad Investment

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Hating on universities and the uselessness of their degrees is trendy. A quick Google search will offer you hundreds of rants detailing the pointlessness of secondary education. Yet while college has become a bad investment, it's likely not for the reasons you have in mind.

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Top 5 reasons why college is still a good idea

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Why College is a Good Idea Still

College Degrees Create More Career Opportunities

College Degrees Make Retirement More Comfortable

College Degrees Make Healthy Living Easier

College Degrees Can Help Build Better People

College Degrees Help Families Live More Comfortably

As most people ponder whether or not to start college or return to college, there are many common excuses that come to mind in opposition of returning. Social, work, and family commitments are the most common reasons. However, it is easy to overcome these obstacles. These are the top five reasons why college degrees are still important.

1. College Degrees Create More Career Opportunities

Having a degree means having more options within a field. For example, a patient assistant in a hospital may want to be able to help with medical procedures and be more involved in patients' care plans. The assistant lacks the certification and knowledge to meet those goals. By earning an RN degree, that individual can meet goals and have a wider range of career opportunities in hospitals, nursing homes, private care and even travel nursing.

2. College Degrees Make Retirement More Comfortable

In a survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, the income replacement rates of aging Americans were analyzed. Participants who held a bachelor's degree had income replacement rates up to 77 percent. However, those who had only a high school diploma had income replacement rates below 67 percent. Most people are unable to live comfortably with less than 70 percent of their income. Since there are often increased out-of-pocket medical expenses in retirement, it is important to be financially prepared.

3. College Degrees Make Healthy Living Easier

As a rule, people with college degrees earn more money. This means more money for healthy food, supplements, and fitness. Many gyms charge between $20 and $70 per month for membership depending on what is included. Yoga and other fitness classes also cost money. In a society where a package of instant noodles is less than $1 and a bag of organic greens can cost upward of $5, it is easy to see why people with less money do not eat as healthy. People with degrees can also afford better private health insurance or have good employer-sponsored insurance.

4. College Degrees Can Help Build Better People

Although no college program will teach people everything they need to know in life, the skills they learn for interacting with others and handling life's challenges are valuable. People with college degrees tend to make better life choices and financial decisions, and they have the skills to build good relationships professionally and socially.

5. College Degrees Help Families Live More Comfortably

Many people choose not to return to college because they think studying will take up valuable family time. Consider studying an investment for a better future. People with college degrees make more money and can afford nicer homes, vacations, more necessities for their children and much more.

These are just a few reasons why college is important. It is also important because most good jobs today require at least a bachelor's degree. In a competitive job market, it is crucial to have a degree, skills, goals and a high drive to succeed.

See: The 100 Best Value Universities in America

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5 Reasons Why College Is Still A Good Idea

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Why College is a Good Idea Still College Degrees Create More Career Opportunities College Degrees Make Retirement More Comfortable College Degrees Make Healthy Living Easier College Degrees Can Help Build Better People College Degrees Help Families Live More Comfortably As most people ponder whether or not to start college or return to college, there are many common excuses that come to mind in opposition of returning.

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8 reasons why college is a good choice

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Patrick Henry College | for Christ and for Liberty

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Read this article to find out why you should consider attending college!

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4 reasons why having a college degree is necessary

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Many people are starting to question whether college is really worth the money or the time. According to the Institute for College Access & Success, students who graduated from public and nonprofit colleges in 2013 had an average of $28,400 in student loan debt per borrower.

Student loan debt is just one of the many reasons that some people should not go to college. Others don't need a degree for the career they want, or they need to start work immediately. Especially if you have no idea what you want to do with your life, college can be a big waste of money. However, there are still many positives to attending college.

The most obvious advantage is the fact that college attendees generally make much more than those workers with only a high school diploma. However, the reasons to invest in higher education extend past just the financial. Here are four important reasons to consider attending college.

1. You will probably make more money

Let's face it: most of us want to make money, and making more money is often a good thing. According to Simply Hired, the average salary for a college graduate is $46,000, but the average is $32,000 for those with a high school diploma. Obviously, more money is often a plus, and although colleges can be expensive, many people feel that having debt is reasonable if it leads to a better paying job.

Although student loan debt can be crippling, if you make more money, you should have more money to pay off that debt. When your debt is paid off, you will be able to use the extra income for discretionary spending. Plus, although student loans are common, some students are able to go to college on scholarship, or are able to work while attending school and avoid loans all together.

2. Many jobs require a college degree

You can certainly start at a company and work your way up, and you may be able to achieve the career you hope for. However, many high-level jobs require at least an associate's degree. Even if you are able to move up in the company, some jobs will still be out of your reach without a degree. Depending on this position, you may be required to obtain a degree even if your experience far surpasses workers coming in with a degree.

In addition to specific jobs within a field requiring a degree to move forward, many specific careers also require a specific degree. There are certainly excellent jobs that you will not need a degree for, but certain positions (like most teaching jobs, nursing jobs, and so on) will require formal training. If you want to have a career in one of these fields, you will have to earn the necessary degree. Even if your field doesn't require a degree, sometimes obtaining one will still help you be more qualified than other candidates.

3. You will gain valuable work skills

College is often what you make of it. While some colleges are better known and more prestigious than others, you can gain a valuable education at most schools if you put the work in. If you attend class regularly, and you choose classes that will challenge you, you will get more from school. You should focus on classes that will help develop skills that will help you in your field. It's also important to get an internship if possible. Internships will help you gain technical experience, build your resume, allow you to network, and potentially show you whether or not your major is the right choice for your future.

A part-time job can also be valuable while you are in school, especially if it relates to your future field.

4. College is a new experience

While you shouldn't pay thousands of dollars simply to have an experience and meet new people, the exploratory aspect of college is very important. Not only will you hopefully determine whether or not your intended career is the right fit, but you also will learn how to interact with other people. When you get out into the work world, you will need to work with many different personalities, and college is a great time to start practicing.

College also is a good introduction to being an adult. Although you will probably still have a meal plan, you will be responsible for attending class and doing well, keeping track of commitments, and so on. Many aspects of college translate into important life skills that will help you after college.

There are many other reasons to go to college. You may meet friends that you will have your entire life. You also might study abroad and learn about new cultures, or you may join clubs that you never knew existed. College gives you the chance to start fresh and reinvent or find yourself.

More from Money & Career Cheat Sheet:

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4 Reasons Why a College Education Is Necessary These Days

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Many people are starting to question whether college is really worth the money or the time. According to the Institute for College Access & Success, students who graduated from public and nonprofit colleges in 2013 had an average of $28,400 in student loan debt per borrower.

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why having a job is good(it isn't part of our thing but just keep it on)

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While economists and academics make convincing arguments that a certain natural level of unemployment cannot be erased, elevated unemployment imposes high costs on the individual, society, and the country.

Worse yet, most of the costs are of the dead loss variety, where there are no offsetting gains to the costs that everyone must bear. Depending on how it's measured, the unemployment rate is open to interpretation. In addition, underemployment can be extremely detrimental to the economy of society as well. Unemployment numbers include people who are working at low-paying or low-skill jobs that do not provide enough full-time hours for benefits or enough to earn a living wage.

Global and national emergencies can trigger both unemployment and underemployment. For example, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, it left more than 10 million Americans jobless in its first two weeks. The situation was so serious that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act expanded unemployment benefits to self-employed and part-time workers through Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Assistance and provided up to 39 weeks of benefits beginning on or after Jan. 27, 2020, and ending on or before Dec. 31, 2020.

Key Takeaways

Costs to the Individual

The costs of unemployment to the individual are not hard to imagine. When a person loses their job, there is often an immediate impact on their standard of living. Before the Great Recession, the average savings rate in the U.S. had been drifting down toward zero (and sometimes below). There are anecdotal reports that the average person is only a few weeks away from serious financial trouble without a paying job.

Even those eligible for unemployment benefits and other forms of government assistance find it is not enough as these benefits often only replace 50% or less of their regular income. That means these people are consuming far less than usual. However, the economic consequences can go beyond just less consumption. Many people will turn to retirement savings in a pinch, and draining these savings has long-term ramifications.

Prolonged unemployment may lead to an erosion of skills, basically robbing the economy of otherwise useful talents. At the same time, the experience of unemployment (either direct or indirect) may alter how workers plan for their futures-prolonged unemployment can lead to greater skepticism and pessimism. On a similar note, the absence of income created by unemployment can force families to deny educational opportunities to their children and deprive the economy of those future skills.

Last but not least, there are other costs to the individual. Studies have shown that prolonged unemployment harms workers' mental health and can worsen physical health, and shorten lifespans.

Costs to Society

The social costs of unemployment are difficult to calculate but no less real. When unemployment becomes a pervasive problem, there are often increased calls for protectionism and severe restrictions on immigration.

Protectionism can not only lead to destructive tit-for-tat retaliation among countries but reductions in trade harm the economic well-being of all trading partners.

Other social costs include how people interact with each other. Studies have shown that times of elevated unemployment may correlate both with less volunteerism and higher crime.

Costs to the Country

The economic costs of unemployment are probably more obvious when viewed through the lens of the national checkbook. Unemployment may lead to higher payments from state and federal governments for unemployment benefits, food assistance, and Medicaid.

Unemployment is also a dangerous state for the U.S. economy. Almost 70% of what the U.S. economy produces goes to personal consumption and unemployed workers.

Even those receiving government support cannot spend at prior levels. The production of those workers leaves the economy, which reduces the gross domestic product (GDP) and moves the country away from the efficient allocation of its resources. For those who subscribe to Jean-Baptiste Say's theory that the production of goods creates its own demand, that is a serious issue.

It is also worth noting that companies pay a price for high unemployment as well. Unemployment benefits are financed largely by taxes assessed on businesses.

How Does a High Unemployment Rate Affect the Economy?

A high unemployment rate affects the economy in many ways. Unemployed people tend to spend less, may accrue more debt, and unemployment may lead to higher payments from state and federal governments for things like food stamps.

How Do I Get Unemployment Benefits?

You have to apply for unemployment benefits through your state. You can find your state's guidelines via the U.S. Department of Labor website, CareerOneStop. Some states will allow you to file a claim over the phone or online, other states make you file a claim in person. Make sure to have your contact information, like your social security number and information about your former employer on hand.

Should I Use My Retirement Savings if I Am Unemployed?

If you find your unemployment benefits running out or your benefits don't stretch enough to pay the bills, you could be tempted to pull money out of a retirement account. However, it isn't always the best idea. If you withdraw early, you will be hit with a 10% percent penalty tax, plus state and federal taxes, unless you meet certain eligibility requirements to waive the penalty tax. You could consider a loan from your retirement account, which does not incur penalities.

The Bottom Line

Governments worry about the consequences of inflation, but unemployment is likewise a serious issue. Apart from the social unrest and disgruntlement that unemployment can produce in the electorate, high unemployment can have a self-perpetuating negative impact on businesses and the country's economic health.

Worse still, some of the more pernicious effects of unemployment are subtle and long-lasting. Consumer and business confidence are key to economic recoveries, and workers must feel confident in their future to invest in developing the skills-and building the savings -that the economy needs to grow in the future. The unemployment costs go far beyond the accumulated sums handed out as unemployment insurance benefits.

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While economists and academics make convincing arguments that a certain natural level of unemployment cannot be erased, elevated unemployment imposes high costs on the individual, society, and the country. Worse yet, most of the costs are of the dead loss variety, where there are no offsetting gains to the costs that everyone must bear.