What Are The Pros And Cons Of University Education
The pros and cons of university depend on your situation and your goals. The obvious advantage of education through a university is your career opportunities. A college education helps you network and build up your resume for a successful career. You have more opportunities and you may find that you are able to increase your earnings potential after graduation.
According to Fremont College, a key downside of higher education at a college or university is the time and cost involved in the process. An undergraduate degree takes around four years to complete and higher education may take longer. It also has the cost of tuition each semester. Depending on your field of study, it may not be necessary to seek higher education. You want to look into the details of your career goals before you assume that you need to attend a college or university for your career.
The best colleges and universities give you an advantage in your career and job potential. The key is focusing on the right education and making sure that you are not wasting your time with higher education. By comparing the programs and looking into the rankings of a college or university, you can find a program that fits your goals and helps with your career opportunities.
Ology For Finding The Best Bachelor Degrees 2021
To identify the 20 highest paying bachelor degrees, our editors consulted PayScale.coms recent college salary report to identify undergraduate majors associated with the highest return on investment, according to mid-career pay. This figure refers to the median annual wage for professionals with more than ten years of experience in their respective fields. Below, weve ranked the 20 highest paying college majors in descending order.
Popular Advanced Degrees For Older Adults Who Want To Climb The Ladder
If youre looking to increase your upward mobility, an advanced degree can help you fast-track your next career move. When it comes to masters degrees, there are typically two tracksgeneralist and specialist degrees.
Generalist degrees provide a more flexible, broad-based education within a particular industry. Two of the most promising generalist degrees for older adults are:
- Master of Business Administration : The MBA is an ever-popular degree for people looking to work their way up to leadership roles. The MBA gives you knowledge across all major business functions, positioning you to be a strategic leader who always keeps the big picture in mind. An MBA is great for anyone who wants to be a cross-functional business leader in almost any type of organization.
- Master of Healthcare Administration : Healthcare is rapidly changing. The MHA prepares you to navigate the evolving healthcare landscape and take a leadership role at healthcare organizations of all shapes and sizes. This degree helps you address challenges unique to the healthcare industry, including balancing fiscal management with providing superior patient care. For anyone who wants to work at the top levels of healthcare, an MHA could be the right degree for you.
Specialist degrees focus on providing deep subject matter expertise, rather than cross-functional knowledge. Three high-growth specialist degrees for older adults are:
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Bachelor Of Computer Science Or Mathematics
Job: Operation Research AnalystsMedian pay in 2020: $86,200
If youre the type of person that believes that data reveals the true nature of a problem, then this is the job for you. Operations research analysts play an integral role in the future of business. They are experts at critical thinking and have excellent math skills that enable them to better track results, forecast trends, solve business problems and make better decisions. Operations research analysts use a combination of math, engineering, and science to analyze human behavior, study complex organizational issues, and more. They are involved in all aspects of an organization and use statistical modeling to analyze information and provide solutions.
Most employers only require a bachelors degree in computer science or mathematics for these jobs, though some may require a masters degree. Operations research is still quite a specialized field, so few schools offer programs specific to this field. As a result, many analysts have degrees in related computer science or mathematics fields.
This career is projected to grow by 25% in the near future and adding 25,600 jobs to the market.
Doctor Of Veterinary Medicine
Career: Veterinarian
A Doctor of Veterinary Medicine is an individual who has learned how to treat a variety of animal species that range from farm animals to house pets and exotics. A student is required to have an undergraduate degree with a concentration in veterinary classes prior to applying for veterinary school. Upon acceptance, a veterinary student has to study for another four years in order to learn how to treat animals. In order to work as a DVM after graduation, the student has to sit for the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination and pass in order to gain licensure.
The demand for veterinarians has been strong for some time and the demand is predicted to increase as pet owners are spending more on health care for their pets. Adding to the demand is the fact there are only 28 veterinary programs in the US. This limits the amount of veterinary school graduates and makes it one of the most in-demand degrees.
Projected Jobs: 14,200
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Bachelor Of Science Health Care Administration
Career: Health Care Management
The Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration is a management degree that focuses on the efficient operation of healthcare facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes and clinics. The degree teaches students how to handle the business side of health care administration and the unique challenges faced by the health care industry. Health care administrators are required to take basic medical classes to better understand their working environment, but otherwise are not required to engage in an education that is required of most medical professionals.
Health care management is a broad category of employment. Graduates with their BSHA typically start at the lower end of the employment ladder, but have plenty of opportunities for upward mobility as the health care industry needs more qualified administrators. Aging populations drive the need for health care and increase the need for more people to work in the administrative side of medical facilities.
Projected Jobs: 133,200
Applied Economics And Management
Students interested in working in the field of business will be happy to learn that one of the highest-paying bachelors degrees is a major in Applied Economics and Management. After studying fundamental topics in micro and macroeconomics and management theory, students who elect this lucrative major will enjoy rewarding careers as business analysts, marketing specialists, account executives, auditors, and more. It is important to note that the salary for entry-level applied economics and management professional may seem underwhelming, but it often doubles within a decade on the job.
Mid-Career Salary: $139,600
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Chemical Engineering/materials Science And Engineering
The engineering industry is currently experiencing a high demand for engineers knowledgeable in chemical engineering and materials science. As a result, more schools are offering undergraduate majors that combine these two fields of study. Students enrolled in this highest paying bachelor degree program will explore high-level engineering topics such as chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, materials production, and reaction engineering, for example, as one of the best college majors for the future, chemical engineering/materials science and engineering degree plans prepare students for fast-growing careers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that jobs for chemists and material scientists are currently growing faster than average.
Mid-Career Salary: $137,800
Bachelor Of Computer Science
Job: Software DeveloperMedian pay in 2020: $110,140
Talk about a job that isnt going anywheresoftware developers are the creative minds behind all the computer programs and cell phone apps we use and take for granted. Software and apps are in all aspects of our lives these days, from communicating with friends to cooking steaks. Software developers can be found creating apps, user experience design, creating systems that run devices, or control networks, and more.
The demand for good designers is not going to go away. Short of an apocalypse that forces human development back into a pre-computer era, this is without a doubt a bachelors degree job in high demand, and one of the best degrees for the future.
To become a software developer, you need a bachelors degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field. But what is as important as the degree is your skill at computer programming. To that end, many companies prefer that you have a masters degree as well.
This career field is expected to explode in the near future, growing by 22% and adding 409,500 jobs to the market.
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Bachelors In Information Systems
Job: Information Security AnalystsMedian pay in 2020: $103,590
Reports of cyberattacks and hacks are always in the news. Research has shown that organizations are all woefully vulnerable to cyberattacks. What this means is that qualified cybersecurity experts are in high demand. These experts often monitor a network for breaches, investigate attacks, install and upgrade firewalls and encryption programs, and develop best practices for their organization.
While you can get a job in this field with a bachelors degree in computer science, employers typically prefer analysts to have experience in a related occupation. This means going to school for a Master of Business Administration in Information Systems. These masters degrees can be completed in two years, but work experience in an IT department is strongly recommended.
This career is projected to grow by 33% in the near future and adding 47,100 jobs to the market.
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How Long Does It Take To Earn A Degree Online Vs On
The time required for online completion of a degree and on-campus should be about equal at most schools for most students. The standard for a four-year degree is eight semesters whether online or on-campus. Some online schools appeal to students by offering accelerated course curricula. Accelerated curricula condenses the requirements into fewer courses to speed up graduation. Many students can accelerate graduation by attending online, but this requires a much heavier than usual credit-load.
- Online attendance can avoid scheduling bottlenecks. Students may find on-campus classes unavailable, and that can cause additional semesters of attendance.
- Online classes in the summer months can help online and/or traditional students accelerate graduation.
- Online students can take a full course load of 15 semester hours when they have time and resources available. The lower typical costs of semester hours online, as opposed to on-campus rates, can help students take more courses.
Stem Degrees Are Top But Liberal Arts Plus Grad School Can Also Do It
What is the college degree that you should have gotten? Maybe it’s the one you did get. But sometimes when people are getting out of collegeand they and their friends start hitting the job marketthey realize that the opportunities open to grads with their particular major are not necessarily in the career fields they’d like to go after. Or they realize that the fields they thought they wanted to pursue actually pay a pittance of what new grads with different majors are being offered.
The price of a college education these days is enough to make even the most well-heeled students gulp. So its worth thinking of your degree as an investment in your future, not just the next hurdle you have to get over in order to land that first job.
The most valuable degrees are the ones that not only provide an immediate payoff after college but also afford those who pursue them long-term career satisfaction and the possibility of earnings growth. Here are some degrees that can produce those kinds of resultsand that anyone still in school may want to consider.
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Our 2019 Ranking Methodology
For each of the 102 college majors, compensation research firm PayScale provided median annual salaries for entry-level workers and mid-career employees . PayScale also provided high job meaning scores, which indicate the percentage of workers with each college major who say their work makes the world a better place. Workforce research firm Burning Glass Technologies supplied the number of online job postings listed between the third quarter of 2017 and the second quarter of 2018 that were seeking applicants with each of the 102 college majors. Projected 10-year growth rates from 2017 to 2027 for related occupations came from Emsi, a labor-market research firm owned by Strada Education. Emsi collects data from dozens of federal, state and private sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In finalizing our rankings, we combined some similar majors to avoid redundancy.
Licensed Practical And Licensed Vocational Nurses
Licensed practical nurses and licensed vocational nurses perform similar duties despite their different job titles. LPN is the term used in 48 states while LVN is the term used only in California and Texas. Both LPNs and LVNs will perform healthcare duties such as check vital signs, assist with feeding, start IVs, and dress wounds. A number of online accredited schools offer nursing programs that last an average of one to two years. Once schooling is finished, LPNs and LVNs must sit for a certification exam. LPNs work under registered nurses, but oversee orderlies and nursing assistants. The median salary for LPNs and LVNs is $45,030
Growth Rate: 12.3%Average Salary: $45,030 per yearOnline Degree Options: Associates Degree in Nursing and NCLEX-PN Certification
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Why Does A Degree Matter
A degree signals to employers that you can stay committed and work through years of subject matter to become well-versed in a topic. It also shows employers that you have many skills that are transferable in the workplace, such as time management, problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, and more.
For some professions, a degree is absolutely necessary, whereas others may be more lenient in accepting applicants without a degree. However, having a degree can help to secure a higher-paying job and also open the door to more career opportunities.
Top 10 Most Useful College Degrees
Incoming students should be forewarned, upon entering college, that certain degrees are useless. Some degrees just dont pay, and if they do, it has more to do with the individual than the education received. It seems unfair that everyone cant be whatever they want to be and get away with it, but such is life. No warning exists upfront that some degrees are more likely to leave you not homeless. Here is the closest thing to that warning, ten college degrees that are most likely to pay off:
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Potential Exam And Experience Needed
Many schools and majors require admissions testing for undergraduate and graduate online school admissions. Undergraduate admissions typically ask for the SAT or ACT to rate students on learning potential, and efficiency in reading, science, and math. In a similar way, graduate schools require general or specialized tests. Some schools do not require them, and many secondary education institutions have procedures that can waive the exam in cases of substantial life or work experience.
Some fields also value experience and put a higher value on industry experience. Students who have both experience and some form of graduate degree or professional degree from an accredited institution, will have better career opportunities with employers. Nursing is an example, as is teaching, of a field in which various levels of education require hands-on experience as either a prerequisite or a learning mechanism.
Why Should I Get An Online Degree
This is a question posed by many students considering going to school. There used to be a stigma associated with online degrees, but that is no longer the case. Open Education Database offers a list of online education benefits. Online degree programs typically offer a larger choice of courses and programs. Today just about every type of degree is attainable online, from certificates to graduate degrees. Online programs are flexible so students can work them into their lives, especially if the student is working or taking care of a family. The course material is always accessible since its online. Other online education benefits include students ability to do the online coursework while working to enhance their current position, or potentially enable them to move on to a different career path.
For some students, there may be some disadvantages of online learning. Online degrees require the student to be accountable and responsible for timely completion of all coursework and exams. There are no regularly scheduled meeting times to which the student must report. Students must stay on top of their own schedule. Students may feel like they arent able to get to know their classmates since they dont interact in person. These disadvantages are minor and can be easily overcome by the student.
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