Is College Education Worth It?

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Image credited to Eve H.

Is college education too draining on some parents’ wallets?

Viraj N., Writer

A topic widely debated by Americans is whether or not it is necessary to send children to earn a college degree, which costs a lot of money. Each side argues the validity of the idea that we are more likely to get a better job with a college degree.

According to The Daily Single, “[We] had 115,000 janitors, 16,000 parking lot attendants, 83,000 bartenders, and about 35,000 taxi drivers with bachelor’s degrees in 2012.” These jobs could easily be attained by people who have not gone to college.

On the other hand, more and more jobs require a college education, and in some cases, postgraduate school. For example, if you decide you want to become a lawyer, there is almost no possibility that you will be hired unless you have gone through college and law school. The only way that you get accepted for that job, is if you study really hard and pass the bar exam.

However, many people do succeed in their profession without college degrees. For example, Bill Gates, formerly the richest man in the world, was a college dropout himself – and look where he is today, making billions of dollars.

If you decide not to go to college, there are some other options. You could educate yourself using the internet, build a small business, or go to a trade school, which has a tuition as low as $3,125.

A college degree has some health benefits. 83% of college graduates have said to have better health, while 37% of high school graduates are smokers and in not so good condition.

The average salary of a student right out of college is $50,556, while the median salary of someone with just a high school diploma, no matter what age, is $30,000.

Even though having a college degree is an amazing achievement that can definitely result with benefits in life, it may be a little bit too costly for some. People may consider not going to college, while still being successful.