Colin Burkhart
Long
10-18-2015
The Benefits and Drawbacks of College Education
After students graduate from high school, they are left with an extremely important decision: should they go to college? There are unique benefits of going to college that cannot be obtained anywhere else; however there are also drawbacks. Each individual student must compare the benefits and drawbacks before making the potentially life-changing decision. College is a very important educational milestone, but it is not the right decision for a large number of students.
The most prominent drawback to going to college is student debt. Nearly 50% of college students are faced with a considerable amount of student debt. The amount of college debt depends on the type of college and the type of degree, but it can be (and often is) crippling to students. On the upside, however, college graduates also earn a considerably higher income. A college graduate with a bachelor’s degree earns around $30,000 more than a high school graduate, which equals over $500,000 in a lifetime. The number of jobs requiring bachelor’s degrees is always increasing, estimated by Georgetown University to reach 63% by 2018. However, the cost of tuition is also rising, and TIME magazine states that 75% of people polled think that college is too expensive for students to afford. Students must decide if the cost of the college, and the potentially hefty amount of debt associated with it, is worth the increase in pay.
A college graduate also has more opportunities for successful careers than high school graduates. The unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders was approximately 3.6% in 2012, compared to 7.5% of high-school graduates. This indicates that these college graduates have no trouble finding work, but the jobs they are in often do not require a college degree at all. One in three college graduates were employed in a job that required a high school diploma or less in 2012, indicating that a college degree is not necessary for a large portion of jobs on the market. Even though these jobs are often not as prestigious as the jobs that require college degrees, they are still more than enough to allow a person to live with an acceptable amount of money. In addition, some college graduates are even employed in very low-grade jobs, such as construction workers, bartenders, and janitors. Statistics even show that over 15% of taxi drivers have a college degree, a job which requires absolutely no education besides a driver’s license, which is not obtained through public schools.
Although the long-term unemployment rate for college graduates is very low, recent college graduates have a considerably harder time finding jobs. In 2011, over 50% of college graduates aged 25 or younger had a part-time job, or no job at all. Many students are also able to be successful without a bachelor’s degree. According to the Bureau of Labor, between 2010 and 2020, only 6 of the 30 projected fastest growing jobs actually require a bachelor’s degree. Since such a low proportion of fast-growing jobs require bachelor’s degrees, a person can still make a living doing something that requires no college education, and sparing themselves the debt.
One important characteristic that colleges do have, however, is the interaction with other students. A student is likely to lose many friends from high school, and college is a great way to make up for that. Colleges also contain many extra-curricular clubs, similar to those in public schools, to keep students in touch with others. Some of these organizations are great ways to improve skills that would be useful outside of college, debate clubs being a large example. A 1994 survey shows that, out of 11,000 students, interpersonal skills was rated as the most important skill for daily life. College students have a reputation for having parties, and many argue that by doing this, they are utilizing important social skills that will be relevant for their entire lives.
College graduates are also much more likely to keep themselves healthy. About 83% of college graduates reported being in excellent health, compared to 73% of high school graduates. Smoking rates are also much lower in college students than in high school graduates. 63% of college graduates aged 25 to 34 stated they exercised vigorously at least once a week, whereas only 37% of high school graduates did the same. Lastly, the obesity rate is lower in college graduates, and they live an average of six years longer than high school graduates. Good health is only the beginning of things college students do better; college students also have much higher civic participation, and are much less likely to commit crimes. College graduates are also more productive, leading to a harder-working population contributing to the jobs of the nation.
The number of people who started college but did not complete it is grossly overlooked. One fourth of college students quit after their first year, and 44% of students enrolled for a four-year degree drop out at some point before they earn their degree. Students who do this are wasting a huge amount of the government’s money. The United States government allocated almost $180 billion to college education, for things such as loans and grants, in 2012. The state governments also spent over $80 billion to support their public colleges. Students who dropped out of college accounted for a loss of almost $4 billion in income and $566 million in federal income taxes. The government loses money on college drop-outs; because college graduates earn more money, they pay higher taxes. This is added to the amount of government money that is wasted by students dropping out. This high student drop-out rate indicates that a large portion of students who apply for college are not even ready to handle it. These students think that they can deal with the pressure, debt, stress, and work of college, but end up leaving anyway. If a college degree were really necessary, the unemployment rate would be much higher, as not even two-thirds of the jobs require one.
The cost of college tuition has risen much faster than median household income. Between 1982 and 2012, the cost of attending a public college for a four-year bachelor’s degree increased by 130%, while the average household income only increased by 11%. This means that students are paying more and accruing more debt for only a small increase in pay, and the actual colleges are teaching relatively low amounts of new material that would make the increase in cost worth the money.
The actual value of a college degree depends on the individual person. College education has changed over the years it has existed, and an increasing number of people have questioned if a degree is actually worth the time, money, and effort. In general, people who had an easy time in primary schools will have an easier time in college, and it is probably worth the cost and effort for them. College education does bring an increase in income, health, and other important lifelong qualities. However, a college degree is certainly not for everybody. Those who had a hard time in primary school, don’t care about education, or who have high anxiety should probably stay away from college to avoid encountering additional stress or excessive debt. Each person should take things into consideration and decide for themselves.
Works Cited
"College Education - ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
"Is College worth It?" The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 05 Apr. 2014. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
"Is College Worth It?" Time. Time Inc., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
No comments:
Post a Comment