The Importance of College Education

This is college education argumentative essay where I want discuss the importance of attending college. After high school, every student must make a choice that will change his or her life forever. This life-changing decision is whether to go to college. The decision to go to college in modern society is one of the largest decisions a student must make. Many people believe college is a waste of time and money today, but others believe college is well worth the investment because a college degree correlates with higher wages and more job opportunity. Moreover, the benefits of a college degree outweigh the expense and time needed to pursue one. Students should pursue a college education even though it is expensive, and people can find jobs without one, because people with a post-secondary education earn more money and are more likely to get a job in modern society.

First, people who have a college education are more likely to get a job than people who do not have one. For the last thirty years, technological advances have increased the demand for skilled workers with a college degree. The constant new technology that is invented and used means that jobs require more training, and a college education prepares students for the world of modern employment. Businesses are looking for workers who can understand these new advancements that people who just went to high school will never understand. In addition, those with a bachelor’s degree have an unemployment rate of about half the rate of those who just have a high school diploma. Students leaving college with a bachelor's degree are twice as likely to get a job than a person who never went to college. Another way to look at it is that twice as many high school graduates are unemployed compared to college grads. On the whole, it is worth getting a college education because people with a post-secondary education are more likely to be employed than those without.

Conversely, some people believe college is not worth the time because it is possible to get some jobs without a college degree. Many people understand that students just getting out of high school do not want to go through more school, and would prefer to stop there than to keep going. However, students must understand the benefits of a college education. Although it is possible to get a job in today’s world without a college education, it is harder to find a job, and these people will not make nearly as much money as they could have made if they had gone to college. The National Bureau of Economic Research says that in 2010, there were about 36% more workers who had a college education in the workforce than there were workers who just got a job out of high school. This shows how there are more people in the workforce who have a college degree than there are people without one. This expresses how much more likely businesses will be to hire people if they have the college education these businesses are looking for. Overall, it is worth going to college even though it is possible to get jobs without going, because people who go to college are more likely to find a superior job and will make more money.

In addition, students who have a college education and get a job also make more money than their less educated counterparts with just a high school diploma. In 1980, people with a college degree earned 43% more than people without one. In 2011, the wage gap increased to the point where college graduates earned 61% more money. This shows how the wage gap between college grads and high school grads increased by 20% in the last three decades, and is continuing to increase today. This 20% difference in wages could be the difference between just scraping by in life, and being able to have a comfortable, stable life. Additionally, returns of a college education are greater than ever before in terms of how much is earned over a lifetime. This means that over a person’s lifespan, the returns in terms of what this person earns because they got a college education is increasing from in the past. This expresses the high value of a college education and how the value is still increasing. These returns should be taken advantage of by students to help them have a better future. Overall, the value of a college degree today is increasing because the wage gap is higher than it has been in the past and the returns of a college education are greater than they have ever been in the past.

In contrast, there are people who say that it is not worth going to college, because tuition cost is expensive and is still on the rise. This tuition rate scares students away from ever pursuing a college education. Galegroup learning says, “For most Americans, educating their offspring will be the largest financial outlay, after their home mortgage, they’ll ever make”. This shows how big of a decision college is because it is one of the most expensive endeavors a person can do in life. Though it is true that college is expensive, it is the same as any other investment. You have to put money in to get profit. This is not just any regular investment. This is an investment into a student’s future , and should not be overlooked just because it has a high initial cost. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco says that for most students, tuition costs for many colleges can be paid off by the age of 40. This means that students can pay off their student loans relatively early in life, and everything that this student earns after age 40 is profit from their educational investment. Even though college is an expensive investment, it is one that is well worth it in the long run and helps pay for itself eventually.

To summarize, Students graduating high school should pursue a post-secondary education even though it is expensive, and it is possible to obtain a job without one, because those who have a college degree are more likely to get a job, and make more money than those who do not. The wage gap between people who have a college education and those who do not has been increasing for several years and is still on the rise. In addition, those who have a college degree are more likely to get a job. It is like any other good investment. You must put money in to get money out, and this is reflected in the wage gap between college graduates and high school graduates. Even though people may find jobs without a college degree, they will not find a good career as easily without a post-secondary education. The benefits of a college education are increasing to rates never seen before and the demand for a college degree is still apparent in modern society. The decision to go to college is a life-changing one, and it is one that if students take advantage of, can pay off and help make a student’s future better.