A college degree used to be the ticket to a great life in America. By getting a degree, you were immediately more qualified than the rest of the population and securing a good job was almost guaranteed. In today’s society, with more people getting degrees, the college degree has lost some of its value. However, getting a college degree still matters for your future and here are some reasons why.
1. College Graduates Make More Money
While it may seem like college is a waste of time and money because it isn’t as easy to secure a job right away, studies show that college still makes financial sense. Over time, we have seen college tuition rise, but what many people don’t realize is that we have also seen the gap between successes in college grads versus high school grads rise as well. Overall salary for college graduates is about 66% higher than those with only a high school diploma. It may be a hard road to find a career after college graduation, but in the long run, it pays off. Literally.
2. Going to College Will Make You More Aware
College graduates are not only more likely to vote and be politically informed, but they are also more likely to donate to charity and be aware of diversity in our country. While in college, students are able to interact with others in a more mindful way. Not only does a college degree predict income and wealth, but also college produces more informed, engaged, and overall more aware human beings.
3. College Debt is Not As Big of an Issue As We Think
There are many horror stories passed around about students going to college, getting their degree, and then graduating with no job in hand and over $100,000 dollars in debt. However, studies show that the number of students that borrow that much money is less than one percent. The average amount of debt for college students who do get student loans is around $27,000 dollars. While this is still a significant amount of money, it is not $100,000, and with the right career, it can be paid off in time.
4. Going to College Trains Your Mind
College will not only benefit a person’s future financially, but college will benefit them in all aspects of life because of the way it makes a person think. While in high school, many students were taught to find the right answer, college teaches students not only to find the right answers but also to figure out how and why the answer is correct. College forces people to ask questions, solve problems, and constantly analyze the world and its issues.
By learning these more broad ways of thinking, a college degree can help people function in the real world more effectively. It may seem like a college degree no long matters in today’s society, but in actuality, it matters just as much now if not more than it ever has before. We need well-rounded, educated, open-minded people in our world. A college degree produces people like this. Not only will a college degree help you make more money, but it will help you enjoy life and participate in our world in a more thoughtful and meaningful way.