Why Getting a College Degree is Worth It

'The road to success is not easy to navigate, but with hard work, drive and passion, it's possible to achieve the American dream.' -Tommy Hilfiger. the road to success isn’t easily obtainable if you sit around and do nothing. Even though some people think students should (not) go to college because college is expensive, students actually should go to college because you can get more income and you can get more job opportunities.

A reporter known as Abigail Hess states: “The median annual salary one year after earning a degree from the University of Michigan ranges from $19,200 to $86,900, depending on the field of study.” Studies show that college graduates earn significantly more money throughout their lifetime than those with only high school education with Bachelor's graduates earning an average of just over $50,000 a year. Need a citation. And those with a higher level degree (master's, doctorate or professional) average nearly $70,000 per year. She also said: “According to the National Center for Education Statistics, just 41% of first-time full-time college students earn a bachelor’s degree in four years, and only 59% earn a bachelor’s in six years. However, the best colleges in the country consistently graduate more than 90% of students in six years”. To graduate in four years, students must take and pass at least 15 credits a semester. A four-year graduation rate for students attending public colleges and universities is 41%. The six-year rate is 59%.

Two writers: Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic & Becky Frankiewicz describes: “Often, the strongest individual contributors are promoted into management, even though they haven’t developed the skills needed to lead a team”. Some say great leaders are born, not made. And while there are some born leaders, many more have honed their leadership skills through extensive practice. They also comprehend: “More and more students are spending more and more money on higher education, and their main goal is largely pragmatic: to boost their employability and be a valuable contributor to the economy.”A country's economy becomes more productive as the proportion of educated workers increases and as a result, many countries provide funding for primary and secondary education to improve economic performance. “Additionally, employers like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, have highlighted the importance of learnability — being curious and having a hungry mind, one report shows U.S. companies spent over $90 billion on it in 2017”. A country's economy becomes more productive as the proportion of educated workers increases since educated workers can more efficiently carry out tasks that require literacy and critical thinking. “Additionally, employers like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, have highlighted the importance of learnability — being curious and having a hungry mind — as a key indicator of career potential. This is likely a result of the growing focus on employee training — one report shows U.S. companies spent over $90 billion on it in 2017. Hiring people with curiosity is likely to maximize the ROI of these programs”. A recent report by Josh Bersin noted that employers today are as likely to select candidates for their adaptability, culture fit, and growth potential as for in-demand technical skills.

We went over some benefits but let's look at a major con to this topic. Some people feel that students should not go to college because college is to overpriced which causes people to become stressed. Emma Kerr told people: “The cost issue has been tracked, too, on an international level by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The U.S. had an average tuition price of nearly $9,000 per year at public institutions in 2017-2018”. The majority of students pay between $6,000 and $15,000 in tuition for both public and private schools in the United States unlike New England with an average of $5,370 and $12,990. She also stated: 'States and local communities are spending less per student. Someone has to take on that cost, and unfortunately it's been the student”. Costs are going up for students, and that pressure is falling most heavily on low-income students who are trying to access college and succeed in college

So we’re back to the question: Is college worth it? Personally, it doesn't matter if college is expensive, students actually should go to college because you can get more income and you can get more job opportunities. These are some out of a lot of reasons why getting a college degree is worth it.