Women Minorities And Democrats More Likely To Say College Is Important
Overall, women viewed college as more important than men did. This is unsurprising, givenresearch that finds women need to earn one more degree than men in order to earn the same salary.
“A woman with a bachelor’s degree earns $61,000 per year on average, roughly equivalent to that of a man with an associate’s degree,” reads a 2018 report from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce. “The same rule holds true for women with master’s degrees compared to men with bachelor’s degrees and for each successive level of educational attainment.”
The Georgetown CEW found that “women’s earnings still lag those of men at every education level, even within the same majors and controlling for full-time, full-year employment.”
Black and Hispanic adults were more likely than white adults to say college is very important
Just 41% of Republicans said that college was very important, compared to 62% of Democrats and 50% of independents who said the same.
But while attitudes towards college have certainly shifted, and the financial calculation may be steeper than in the past, going to college remains a smart investment for many.
Educational attainment has been found to cause a wide range of positive outcomes including longer life expectancy, lower unemployment and higher earnings.
So why then are Americans increasingly skeptical of higher education?
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College Degrees Make Healthy Living Easier
As a rule, people with college degrees earn more money. This means more money for healthy food, supplements, and fitness. Many gyms charge between $20 and $70 per month for membership depending on what is included. Yoga and other fitness classes also cost money. In a society where a package of instant noodles is less than $1 and a bag of organic greens can cost upward of $5, it is easy to see why people with less money do not eat as healthy. People with degrees can also afford better private health insurance or have good employer-sponsored insurance.
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Why Consider Going To College
The biggest advantage of going to college is the gateway to increased opportunity. We arent just talking about more work opportunities after graduation, but also the endless possibilities of making new connections that may become of value to you for life, the benefits of gaining knowledge, the encouragement of discovering new passions, and so much more!
Two Words: Bill Gates
There are so many college dropouts within the famous entrepreneurs and successful names that everyone knows like its common sense. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and the list goes on. They are simply people, just like you, who have never received a college degree, but they are doing immensely well financially. Keep in mind that your hard work can pay off, and you will be doing well yourself, and be even with the people who have received a college education.
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How You Define Success
Ultimately, it is up to you to determine how you define success for yourself. If you are able to start your own business, continue a family business, or start small in a company and move your way up without a degree, do you consider that success? Or will you always feel the need to have graduated from college no matter your career path? Do some self-reflection on how much a degree matters in your own definition of success for yourself.
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There are countless reasons why you really should go to college. One of the most common reasons why students attend college these days is for the opportunity for an increased income and a boost to the resume.
College grads, on average, make much more than those working with only a high-school diploma.
Employers really do look at your education as an important aspect of your resume and many companies wont consider an applicant without a minimum of a bachelors degree. In addition, many companies offer higher entry-level salaries for a college degree. And if you study while you are working, you may be eligible for a salary increase once you graduate.
The easiest reason to go to college: Your career choice. There are just some career paths that necessitate a college degree and there is no getting out of it. Do your homework on the job and career you dream of and check entry requirements, as well as what it takes to move ahead in the field so you know full well if a degree is required.
You Have Curiosity Explore It
This is your opportunity to take what youâre already interested in and pursue it at a deeper level. Enroll in classes and sign up for activities that excite you, without the structured limitations of high school. Meet people from various backgrounds and cultures who have interests similar to â and different from â your own. They might even introduce you to new interests you didnât know you had.
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Why College Is A Good Idea Still
- College Degrees Create More Career Opportunities
- College Degrees Make Retirement More Comfortable
- College Degrees Make Healthy Living Easier
- College Degrees Can Help Build Better People
- College Degrees Help Families Live More Comfortably
As most people ponder whether or not to start college or return to college, there are many common excuses that come to mind in opposition of returning. Social, work, and family commitments are the most common reasons. However, it is easy to overcome these obstacles. These are the top five reasons why college degrees are still important.
Why A College Education Is Important
Written by: Joe Emerson // May 14, 2018
Defining why a college education is important involves more than just identifying the superficial benefits of more career opportunities. At a deeper level, college is where you will map a path through life that can take you to places you never expected to go.
The beauty of postsecondary education is that college can yield tangible and intangible benefits for you that in turn benefit others even if school doesnt awaken your sleeping Pablo Picasso, Stephen Hawking, or Bill Gates.
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College Graduates Are Struggling Just As Much
They graduated college, finally attained that degree theyve been working for years on, and countless millennials today cannot get a job. Again, they lack experience and expertise regarding the job, which is why they arent getting hired. Rest assured that some individuals with degrees arent doing as hot as youd think they would.
The Benefits Of A College Education
A college education is a necessity in todays time but does the cost of college out weight the benefits?. Growing up my mother always told me you cant afford a family on a Dairy Queen salary. There are multiple pros and cons of a college education such as better a career, with less manual labor, pay, knowledge and career advancement among multiple other opportunities. There are also cons such as the price of college tuition the damage to your credit that comes with unpaid student loans and
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You Could Increase Your Lifetime Investment Earnings By $15 Million
Youve probably heard the argument that college graduates earn about $1 million;more in lifetime earnings than individuals with just high school.Now, setting aside the fact that correlation and averages dont have much real bearing on the individual, theres an easy way you could even the score and even outperform that college graduates lifetime earnings.If you start earning money right out of high school and start investing early, you can get a massive head start on someone who only starts investing five years later, after graduating .Heres an example: If you start putting $500 away each month, your investment could yield $4.7 million by the time youre 63. Meanwhile, if your friend who went to college only starts investing $500/month five years later, they would end up with $1.5 million less at age 63.Does $500 seem like a lot? Lets try with $200 a month:Jack, Jill, and Joey each invest the same amount each month, but Jack starts at age 25, whereas Jill starts 10 years later, and Joey starts ten years after her. The outcome? Joey more or less doubles his investment by age 65, Jill more than triples hers, and Jack grows his five-fold.Heres the crazy part: Even if Jack had stopped investing his $200/month at age 35, he would still end up making more than Jill would if she continued investing from age 35-65 .The bottom line? The earlier you start investing, the more your lifetime investment income will be.
Importance Of College Education Essay
True education is what sets you up forever. In India Education has always been an important part of everyones life. It makes you learn, develop constantly the solid upsides of life. The instruction should make you sufficiently capable to cross the obstructions, difficulties and obstacles of life. It is simply the method for growing mentally and socially. An advanced degree is incredibly critical to me since life is brimming with promising circumstances and to make my future fruitful, I should make the most of those changes.
Education, as far as I might be concerned, isnt the conventional instruction in a four-divider homeroom climate: it is college forever. My dad couldnt go to a college or college on the grounds that, in Nepal, where he experienced childhood, despite the fact that your scores were acceptable and promising advanced education, there were insufficient offices to give the instruction required. My mom, then again, had the option to go to a college for a very long time and afterward she quit her college because of the political shakiness of the country and on the grounds that she had more work insight in her field of decision. My sister is as of now seeking after her degree in college and she has likewise been an explanation with respect to why I need to add my college and make the most of the chances hanging tight for me.
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Exceptions To The Rule
Finally, Americans have become enamored by the story of the millionaire, or billionaire, college dropout: people like Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. The two tech titans dropped out of Harvard to found successful companies.
And while Zuckerberg and Gates’ success is undeniable, the issue is that they are the exceptions to the rule.
“Although I dropped out of college and got lucky pursuing a career in software, getting a degree is a much surer path to success,”said Gates himself in 2015. “College graduates are more likely to find a rewarding job, earn higher income, and even, evidence shows, live healthier lives than if they didn’t have degrees. They also bring training and skills into America’s work force, helping our economy grow and stay competitive.”
One study of 11,745 U.S. leaders found that 94% of U.S. leaders attended college, and about 50% attended an elite school.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, just 41% of first-time full-time college students earn a bachelor’s degree in four years, and only 59% earn a bachelor’s in six years, driving up the cost of attending college significantly.
How Do I Decide Between Public And Private School
Both private and public schools can provide valuable benefits to their students. When it comes to making a decision, its all about what you want to get out of your collegiate experience. Here are a few differences to consider:
| Public school |
However, you can lower the upfront costs of your education by applying to scholarships, grants or student loans.
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Ability To Weather Adversity
During an economic downturn, with more money available in your savings account, an education, and marketable skills, having a degree will help you survive hardship. The benefits of getting a college degree are very numerous indeed, and college education is a great investment in your life. You will gain more money, a bigger knowledge base, job security and satisfaction, and the ability to withstand tough times. And all these factors will give you a secure future.
Going to college will come with some difficulties. One of the thing you dont have to do, however, is relocate. If you live in Colorado, for example, try to find a local college in Colorado instead of traveling to an out-of-state university. By attending a local college, you can maintain your current job and life while still attaining the many benefits available to you through a degree.
Need help getting started on your college search? Search by location, major, admission difficulty, and more with Petersons College Search.
Kara Masterson is a freelance writer from Utah. She enjoys tennis and spending time with her family. Kara recommends looking into;diplomacy programs;for more information on degrees that can help save the world.
All views and opinions of guest authors are theirs alone and are not representative of the views of Petersons.com.
A College Degree Can Boost Your Financial Savvy
Working-age adults with bachelor’s degrees are 9.4 times more likely to have a bank account than those with a high school diploma as their highest level of education, according to a 2016 report from the Lumina Foundation.
College-educated adults were also less likely to have used expensive forms of credit. Just 2.3% of college-educated adults used pay-day and tax refund loans within the last year, compared to 9.2% of high school graduates without a college education.
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Youll Gain Genuinely Useful Experience
Four years is a long time to sit in classrooms and miss out on real-world experiences. By choosing not to go to college, and opting to get varied work experience instead, you can gain a distinct advantage over your peers.A lot of people struggle to gain work experience simply because they think some jobs are beneath them, or because they optimize for income instead of learning and experimentation potential.The thing is, entry-level positions tend to have a low bar and high turnover, which means its very easy for someone who is driven to do an absolutely outstanding job and build a lot of social capital with fairly little effort. Simply show up early, kick ass at your job, and continuously ask for more work.This social capital could lead to additional responsibility , promotions, glowing recommendations, or even getting headhunted if people notice what a stellar job youre doing.Whether you start out manning phones, packing shelves, working as a photographers assistant, or running your own business, your experiences of working in a business environment and interacting with customers will teach you a lot more about how to work and excel at it than four years of college ever could.
When Should You Go To College
The best timing for attending college is different for every person, since its such a large investment of time and money. While these investments can certainly be worth it, everyones journey looks different. Consider these factors when thinking about going to college:
- Is it something you want to do? Do you feel obligated to attend college, or is this a decision you have made for yourself? The time and money it takes to attend college are not worth it if you arent committed to your studies. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on high school students to attend college as soon as they graduate, but think about taking a gap year or two if you dont feel ready to commit to college.
- Do you have a financial plan in place? College tuition can be intimidating, but it doesnt have to stop you from achieving your educational goals. There are ways to ease the financial burden of college, and having a plan for your finances makes a great first step.
- Do you have the time to start college? Whether youre aiming for a degree that takes two years or one that takes 12, college is a major time investment. Before you apply, make sure that you have the time to take the courses youd like, whether youre attending full time or part time. Many colleges offer night, morning and weekend classes to accommodate busy schedules. A perk of higher education is that you can choose when you take your classes.
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Finding : Majors Matter For Return On Investment
The final dimension of the financial returns to college I explore in this report is that of college major. After the decisions of whether to go to college and where to attend, the decision of what to major in may be the most financially consequential decision a student makes. The difference in lifetime earnings between the top- and bottom-earning majors is close to $2 million.10 On the other hand, the issues of comparative advantage and job satisfaction are difficult to deal with given that students choose majors in part based on their own skills and preferences. The statistics below should thus be taken with the large caveat that they should not be used to argue in favor of switching majors for people with very strong preferences for a certain field. It is fundamentally impossible to know what the financial outcome would be for a linguistically brilliant English major who hates math if they were forced to major in engineering. That said the numbers are still quite useful for the type of comparisons we have been making throughout the rest of this paper.
Figure 4
Keep in mind that there is considerable variation within these broad categories. Biology is a STEM major, but it provides roughly the same lifetime earnings as an area/ethnic studies major. Economics is a social science, but it is in the top 5 of all majors in terms of return on investment,11 behind only several engineering concentrations.