How useful is college education? The 15.1 million high schoolers are trying to figure this out right now. During their junior year, they are faced with the decision of going to college. These kids are trying to find the best path for them to be successful while helping the future of America to improve the lives of every American after them.

A survey taken at Abraham Lincoln High School shows us that  69.2% of students believe that college is worth it while 3.8%  of students believe it is not worth it and the final 26.9% of students were undecided.

Back in 2016, the average income for people 25 years and older with just a high school diploma was $35,615 while those with a bachelor’s degree had an income of about $65,482 to $92,525. In other words, high school graduates earn about 62% of what those with four-year degrees earn. With a college diploma not only does it come with better pay but with insurance and a retirement fund. Insurance is an important thing that everyone should have, due to the fact that the lack of insurance is a fiscal burden of  having to try to find the money for an unelected health emergency. Retirement funds are a necessity because it helps people with varying levels of income and expectations after retirement, and with other post-retirement realities such as medical aid cover.

While having a college degree allows you to make more money and set you up for a better future, it also is a major life achievement which builds your character. Thousands of college graduates say that the best day of their lives was the day they “earned their degree”. This sense of accomplishment of spending countless late nights studying to finally earn their diploma is something that give this part of the population more self-esteem and confidence. With this accomplishment, statistics show that they become more productive members of society. Bachelor graduates are 2 time more likely to volunteer, they vote more and their charitable donations are 3.5 times higher.

A college education isn’t the right choice for everyone, many student graduate with a huge amount of student debt and unnecessary job degree opportunity. College has increased in its expenses and made college graduates lives a life of living debt. 30-year-olds who have never taken out student loans are now more likely to own homes than those who have. Americas owe $1.3 trillion is student debt.

If college is an option for you but you are still undecided on what you want to do,  then it is best for you to wait due to the fact that if you switch majors you might be ending up with more debt then you previously expected. The shocking fact is that  “40% of college grads in the U.S are in the unemployment pool” this shows that college is not for everyone. Another thing you should investigate is what job you want because “46% of college grads work jobs that don’t require a degree.”

While deciding whether you choose to go to college or not, it is important to weigh both sides of the equation to view the best choice for you. 

Sources:

Altman, Jamie, and Chapman University. “It Turns out College IS Worth It – If You Want to Get a Job.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 16 July 2016, college.usatoday.com/2016/07/16/it-turns-out-college-is-worth-it-if-you-want-to-get-a-job/.

Bovbjerg, Randall R., and Jack Hadley. “Why Health Insurance Is Important.” Urban Institute, 1 Feb. 2017, www.urban.org/research/publication/why-health-insurance-important.

Insler, Shannon. “Is College Worth It? Here’s What the Numbers Say.” Student Loan Hero, 9 Feb. 2018, studentloanhero.com/student-loans/is-college-worth-it/.

Moss, Wes. “Here Are Reasons Why a College Degree Is Still Worth It Down the Line.” The Balance, www.thebalance.com/why-a-college-degree-is-still-worth-it-1289838.

Pham, Tam. “Is a College Degree Worth It in 2016?” The Hustle, 8 Jan. 2016, thehustle.co/is-a-college-degree-worth-it-in-2016.

Selingo, Jeffrey J. “Opinion | Is a College Degree the New High School Diploma? Here’s Why Your Degree’s Worth Is Stagnant.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 13 Jan. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/01/13/is-a-college-degree-the-new-high-school-diploma-heres-why-your-degrees-worth-is-stagnant/?utm_term=.5f6bef202982.

Weston, Liz. “Why a College Degree Is Still Worth It Even Though It Cost Too Much.”Money, 5 Oct. 2015, time.com/money/4061150/college-degree-worth-it/.

“Why Saving for Retirement Is a Necessity Not a Luxury.” Fin24, 13 July 2017, www.fin24.com/PartnerContent/why-saving-for-retirement-and-pension-funds-is-a-necessity-not-a-luxury-20170711.

“Pros and Cons of Controversial Issues.” ProConorg Headlines, 10 Jan. 2018, www.procon.org/.