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Bryce Moser
Specter
English 105
4/19/15
Higher Education is a Positive Investment
For many people across the United States, college was the next step in their journey after
high school graduation. A time period of four, and possibly more, years of continued education
leading to a future, a job, a career, and most likely student debt. For many of these college
graduates, a question is proposed to them. Was going to college a good investment, or was it a
waste of money and debt? Some college graduates insisted that it was not worth the debt and
lack of jobs they encountered, but at the same time, others agreed that the extra money made per
year, along with the college experience made for a positive investment. The worth of college
brings about many debates such as the cost of loans, the high tuition, the different majors and
opportunities available, and also benefits such as social class and overall health. There are a long
list of reasons and motives to attend college, and to understand them you must realize the big
picture; a continuation of schooling, and higher education are a positive investment and worth
the cost.
Looking into higher education, it is often debated if it is worth the cost. There are many
reasons exemplifying why college is important and a positive investment. First and foremost,
higher education contains the most promising ticket to financial security and financial success, as
you have a much stronger education and skill level than non-college goers. Glancing at the
current job market, it is evident that most middle class jobs today, require a bachelors degree at
the lowest. This is primarily so, because as time progresses there is a rising need and expectation

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for workers, in all different fields, to have a college degree. Along so, most middle-class jobs that
require little to no college education and experience are rapidly disappearing. Attending college
requires a steep investment, and possibly a few years of debt. Putting this aside, and looking
down the road though, there are many more long-term benefits. These benefits include personal
satisfaction, job opportunities, and higher income. Delving deeper, the personal satisfaction will
come from the paid off hard work and pride from getting where you are. The job opportunities
include being able to raise the ranks and obtain higher positions within companies and work
places. Last but not least, there is often higher income seen with college graduates. With better
experience and education, a graduate can work more in depth and skill-requiring jobs. Also,
wages of college educated-workers seem to be growing, where as wages for less educated people
are fairly stationary. Furthermore, studies show that having a higher educational background and
degree can earn you about sixty-three percent more than those with less than a college degree. It
is obvious that college has many benefits for yourself and your lifestyle. To ensure you get the
best benefits of your degree, it is important to have realistic expectations and a firm
understanding of your educational options, and what you can do with your earned degree.
Attending college and earning a degree is a very desirable path, showing positive returns, and
proving to be a positive investment.
Moving forward, it is reasonable to say that college is a necessity in todays world and
market. It is stated that college graduates are more likely to be prosperous, they will have better
quality of life, they have more influence in the world, there is something to pass onto children,
and there is a better chance to be a major contribution in society. Also, college education only
appreciates in value, and does not depreciate. It is definite that attending college makes someone
a better person as well. Looking at the money aspect of college, it is stated that families headed

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by someone with a bachelors degree in the least, has the potential to make $1.6 million more
than someone with any lesser education. This in its own should show why college is such a
positive investment. Continuing, studies show that college graduates display improvements in
the quality of their lives as opposed to non-college goers. These improvements include, 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, greater
knowledge of government, more self-confidence, and less criminal activity. These are only some
of the long list studied. Besides personal improvements, college graduates leave a legacy for
children. It is said that children of parents who attended college are healthier, academically
stronger, and likely to attend college themselves. Getting a degree establishes groundwork for
children to build off of. Lastly, higher education connects directly with the American dream.
Attending college can lead you ahead of high school graduates financially, and put you in easier
reach of being successful and reaching the desirable American dream. Through personal
improvements, legacies, and financial success, it is easy to see that higher education is a positive
investment.
Furthering support for college as a positive investment, we look at the argument of
whether or not the price of college is too high. It is a fact that tuition has raised rapidly in the past
few years, and faster than the average familys income has raised. This can put pressure on
parents and family members, because there is often a great struggle in search for funds. While
more affluent families can more easily set aside money for higher educational purposes, middle
and low class families have less ease with putting such money away. Continuing, all across the
United States, students are seemingly forced to balance the desire for a college degree with the
funding for college. It is stated that around twenty-eight percent of college freshmen now say

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that tuition rates were a main reason for choosing their school. This is a major problem because
students should not let funds be a determining factor in their continuation of schooling. This
problem leads to why it is necessary to understand how you can obtain money and support for
school. There are so many different ways to gain money, such as campus based aid, family
contribution, scholarships, need based aid, grants, and loans. Talking to a financial aid officer or
advisor is also vital, as they can greatly help and guide in the path of paying for higher education.
College can be an expensive path to embark on, but there are many opportunities to obtain funds
and support so that you can have a positive college experience, gain an education, and prove
college to be a positive investment.
Continuing, we live in a society today that is expectant of a college education. This leads
many people to attend college, in which they soon find out that there are many benefits of
attending a post-secondary school. To start, individuals who graduate from a college will earn
more money than their high school educated colleagues. It has been observed that those with a
bachelors degree in a STEM field, had high salaries, and those who had a bachelors degree in a
health support, education, or personal service field, was lower. Even though they may be lower,
for the most part, the salaries are still higher than people with only a high school diploma.
Further, in 2011, the unemployment rate for college graduates was 4.4 percent, while high school
graduates were at 8.5 percent, showing a strong benefit of attending college. With money
benefits aside, there are also non-pecuniary benefits as well. While at college you gain many
classroom experiences that you will not find anywhere else. Also, you build up social skills while
interacting with people relative to your age, and interests. This social growth can prove helpful as
you enter the workforce and need to communicate with others, whether through interview or for
your career. Besides social skills, author Philip Oreopoulos includes personal benefits that come

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from college attendance such as more independence, feelings of accomplishment, and further
opportunities. Living in a society expectant of a college education is a good thing, as it pushes
people to further their education and display college a positive investment.
The idea of college revolves around a few things, such as acceptance, cost, and future. In
our world today, the worth of college degrees is high, as they are very prized and respected,
considering they earned through hard work. Though the two hardest parts of college are getting
into a school, and then paying for the tuition. Many employers in the current job market seem to
expect job pursuers to have a degree from a post-secondary school, since we live in a college
expectant society. Living with this expectation can be hard as higher education has high price
tags, which forces families to reach deep into their pockets, and obtain as much money as they
can. Despite the high costs, it is noted that college enrollment continues to remain at a high level,
mostly because the job market revolves around college degrees. Also, aside from the incurred
debt, many graduates and parents regard college as a beneficial and money well spent. Since
college is highly regarded as money well spent, it is easy to see the college is a positive
investment.
Many high school graduates continue their education after graduation, and embark on the
quest of college. Four plus years of furthered education to earn a degree, pave out a future, obtain
a career, and clear their name of student debt. The question of higher education being a positive
investment is often brought up to college students. Some may not think it is worth the expense,
debt, and lack of jobs in their field, but for most others it is worth the cost, as there is more
money in the long run and they gained great experience. After accepting the cost of tuition,
handling the price tags, and taking on the many given opportunities and benefits, it is evident that

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a continuation of schooling and higher education are worth the cost, and prove to be a positive
investment.

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Works Cited

Billiteri, Thomas J. The Value of a College Education. CQ Researcher 20 Nov. 2009: 9811004. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
Cooper, Mary J. Paying for College. CQ Researcher 20 Nov. 1992: 1001-24. Web. 1 Apr.
2015.
Hansen, Katharine. A College Education Is a Necessary in Todays World. Education and
College. Ed. William Dudley. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. Teen Decisions. Rpt.
From What Good Is a College Education Anyway? Quintzine 2 (5 Nov. 2001).
Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 6 Apr. 2015.
Philip Oreopoulos. and Uros Petronijevic. Making College Worth It: A Review of the Returns
to Higher Education. The Future of Children 23.1 (2013): 41-65. Project MUSE. Web. 7
Apr. 2015. https://0-muse.jhu.edu.wave.lccc.edu/.
Worsnop, Richard L. Getting Into College. CQ Reseacher 23 Feb. 1996: 169-92. Web. 7 Apr.
2015.