Why should I go to college?
» Financial Security
» Quality of Life
» Knowledge is Power
» The Job Market
Going to college involves a big commitment of time, energy, and money. So, why should you do it?
The connection between higher education and pay has never been stronger.
College may be expensive, but the only thing more expensive than getting a college education is not getting one. The income differential empowers you to make choices that enrich your life.
Unlike most purchases, a college education appreciates in value instead of depreciating. And don't forget that there are ways to get around the high cost - scholarships, financial aid, community colleges, and emerging choices in distance learning that can enable you to take classes on your computer while also participating in the workforce
A college education is an extraordinarily profitable investment. Every dollar spent on a young man's college education produces $34.85 in increased lifetime income.
The lifetime income of families headed by individuals with a bachelor's degree will be about $1.6 million more than the incomes of families headed by those with a high-school diploma, according to the Postsecondary Education Opportunity Research Letter.
The More You Learn, The More You Earn: Studies show that more education leads to bigger paychecks. Just by staying in school and graduating, workers earn an average of $6,000 more per year, or $240,000 more in their lifetimes. That's a quarter-million dollars just for finishing high school. Add a two-year Associate Degree and the lifetime earnings jump to $480,000 more than the high school dropout will earn.
Here are the average salaries for American workers based on the amount of education they have attained:
Education Level |
Hourly Rate |
Annual Salary |
Less than high school diploma |
$ 9.47 |
$18,000 |
High school diploma |
$12.50 |
$24,000 |
Some college, no degree |
$14.61 |
$28,000 |
Associate degree |
$15.24 |
$30,000 |
Bachelors degree |
$19.28 |
$38,000 |
Masters degree |
$24.04 |
$48,000 |
Doctoral degree |
$30.00 |
$60,000 |
Professional degree |
$34.98 |
$70,000 |
According to Quintessential Careers, studies show that, compared to high-school graduates, college graduates have:
» longer life spans
» better access to health care
» better dietary and health practices
» greater economic stability and security
» more prestigious employment and greater job satisfaction
» less dependency on government assistance
» more continuing education
» greater participation in leisure and artistic activities
» higher voting rates
» greater knowledge of government
» greater participation in volunteer work and greater leadership skills
» more self-confidence
» lower rates of criminal activity and incarceration.
Institutions of higher learning continue to be among the best venues for cultivating social change.
If you doubt that knowledge is power, consider the societies that have denied education to selected segments of the population
Cuban patriot Jose Marti once wrote: "Students are the ramparts and the strongest army of freedom. When liberty is in danger, a newspaper threatened, a ballot box in peril, the students unite . . . And arm in arm they go through the streets demanding justice, or they run printing presses in cellars for what they cannot say."
85% of jobs require some level of education beyond high school.
High school graduates who do not receive any additional training will face shrinking employment opportunities for unskilled workers and will increasingly experience low-paying positions with limited or no benefit packages.
You may not want to or have to attend a four-year college or university to get the training you need to succeed. There are different types of schools offering different types of training for all kinds of careers. Higher education can be obtained at a community college, a junior college, a business, trade or technical school, a nursing school, and, of course, a four-year college or university.
Higher education is the key that opens doors to finding a job or career that you like and can provide you with the income you need.
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