Theresa Cmar

Andrew Pinkerton

English 1510

March 19th, 2018

Value of College Education

College in the United States has been around for many years, as the first college was built

in 1636. Since then, many more universities came into play as there are thousands across the

U.S. The reason to build these colleges and universities, and to have them up and running, is to

have a place where people can get higher education and to get closer to their future career goals.

The problem in that, however, is that many people do not believe college is necessary for

“success.” I will begin to talk about the different sides of this argument on the worth and value of

college degrees.

One argument is that attending a college or university is not worth it. There are many

reasons as to why people believe this side. For example, some say it is too much money, they

could be working and making money in the time they’d be in college, not going to college means

no debt, some non-college jobs pay close to some out of college jobs, some majors are not worth

going to college for, etc. But on the other hand, there are also a lot of people who believe that

college is a necessity and that to become successful career wise, you must go to college. For

example, the people who believe this side of the argument think that the job money payout is

worth it in the long run, that there are ways to get rid of debt or manage money wisely, that some

majors in college are very worth going to college for, etc. So is there really one answer to the

question of “Is college necessary for success?” I personally am interested in this topic because I
want to know the worth of college degrees and if they are for everyone. I also want to know the

statistics in the job outcomes of different degrees and if every major or degree is created equal.

The first argument to this topic can be summed up in general as the people who are not

advocates of going to college and pursuing a higher education. Most of the voices in this

category speak from personal experiences. These personal experiences can come from people

who never went to college and ended up being successful still in the end or from people who

tried going to college but ended up not completing and graduating. They believe that college is

not necessary for many different reasons that can greatly differ between each individual. Some

main reasons for their belief, however, deals greatly with money and monetary values.

The first reason is that people who believe college is not worth it thinks that overall, it is

too much money. This statement is not too farfetched, especially since according to

collegedata.com, “…the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2017-2018 school year was

$34,740 at private colleges, $9,970 for state residents at public colleges, and $25,620 for out-of-

state residents attending public universities” (COLLEGEDATA.COM). On top of those tuition

fees comes other costs as well, such as costs for room and board, books, school supplies, and

other fees. For example, “…the average cost of room and board in 2017-2018 ranged from

$10,800 at four-year public schools to $12,210 at private schools” (COLLEGEDATA.COM).

Clearly this is quite a bit of money to pay, especially for people who attend out-of-state college

or private colleges. According to another website, bigfuture.collegeboard.org, there are similar

but slightly different average published yearly tuition and fees than the previous source

mentioned.
As you can see from this chart, these prices can vary from $3,440 for Public Two-Year College

to $32,410 for Private Four-Year College. Most people, especially those who come from low

income households, may be hesitant to even think about college just because of that price point.

The second reason as to why some argue that college is not worth it say that individuals

could be working and making money in the time that they would be in college. If someone were

to pursue a college education straight after high school, as a majority of people typically do, they

do not have the time to work as many hours, if any amount of hours, as compared to someone

who chose to not go to college straight after high school. Amount of money that can be earned

working straight out of high school can significantly vary depending on the job. If the person

decides to get a more basic job at first, such as a minimum wage job like fast food worker,

cashiers, etc., their annual salary in Ohio would be $17,264. This number can be found by

multiplying Ohio’s minimum wage, $8.30, by 40 hours per week and then multiplying that

number by 52 weeks in a year. Now if someone decided to work somewhere with a little higher

pay, they could make a vast amount of more money.

A third reason for why some believe college is not necessary is an easy and simple point

that seems to make sense, not going to college means no debt. As mentioned above, the prices of

college tuition, room and board, and other fees can be very expensive in total. Especially to

people who already do not make a decent income, it can be complicated to try to get the money
to afford college. To combat trying to find that money, finding a job that does not require a

degree and accruing debt could be an option.

A fourth reason for not going to college could be deciding what your interests are and

determining if college is necessary for that path. Also, depending on the major or degree you

choose, this can very much so impact the satisfaction of job payout and money in the end. The

reason why this is an issue leaning towards advocates of not attending college is because money

is a very important aspect of life. A main reason why people attend college is to get a good and

stable paying job, so if you come out of college without a good stable job, or good money

payout, then that can make the person feel defeated. For example, if someone were to spend

many hours of their time and dedication, as well as spend a hefty amount of money, towards a

career path that does not have a good amount of money given in return, then it essentially is not

worth it. I am going to be bringing up some majors and degrees that are said to “not be worth it.”

Some of these majors include Counseling Psychology, Early Childhood Education, and

Theology and Religious Vocations. “Counseling Psychology is the lowest-paying bachelor’s

degree major with a median of $29,000 and a 75th percentile peak of $42,000” (Carnevale 9).

Early Childhood Education is another major that has lower earnings compared to other majors,

with a median salary of $36,000. Theology and Religious Vocations also is on a lower earnings

scale with earnings of $38,000.

The second argument to this topic will explore the opinions of people who are proud

advocates of going to college. They believe this for many reasons, such as that the job payout is

worth it in the long run, that there are ways to lessen, rid of, or manage debt, job security and job

benefits, and if you don’t go to college, you will never have a good and stable job.
 The first reason, job payout, is important because as stated in the paragraphs above,

money is very important. Some of the highest-earning majors include Petroleum Engineering,

Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration, and Mathematical and Computer

Science. “Petroleum Engineering is by far the highest-earning Bachelor’s degree major with

median earnings of $120,000 and 75th percentile earnings of $189,000” (Carnevale 9). Pharmacy

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration has median earnings of $105,000 and Mathematical

and Computer Science has median earnings of $98,000. If someone were to take the time to

pursue these careers, you can clearly see that the money payout is very well. Another note to add

is the difference in payout for different major groups.

This is a chart that I have created on Median Earning’s with a Bachelor’s degree in different

fields of study. I found the information for each major group from an online source titled

“What’s It Worth? The Economic Value of College Majors.” Clearly from the information

presented in the graph, you can see that not every major group degree is created equally in a

monetary aspect. For example, some degrees, such as Psychology and Social Work, Education,

and the Arts, make median earnings of $42,000-$44,000. While other degrees, such as

Engineering and Computers and Mathematics make median earnings of $70,000-$75,000. Again,

these are median earnings of each major group, but major earnings within each group can also

vary

The next reason for why some people believe going to college is necessary and beneficial

is that there are ways to lessen and manage debt. Clearly the costs of college can be very

expensive, but there are ways, as said before, to lessen and manage that debt. For example,

according an article titled “Income-Based Repayment and Loan Forgiveness: Implications on

Student Loan Debt,” it shows how there are many different programs and repayment plans that

can help debt.

The third reason, job security and job benefits, is a very important concept. Basically, job

security means that an individual can be assured that they will not lose their job or become

unemployed. Clearly this is important because when someone gets a job that they plan on

keeping, the last thing they want is to lose that said job, especially if other job options aren’t

open or as available. People who go to college and get a degree typically get a better chance in

getting a good paying job and having better job security after college versus people who do not

go to college and get a degree. As for job benefits, this is also a very important concept because
knowing you can have more benefits just because you have a degree is very nice. Some benefit

examples may include retirement and health insurance.

A fourth reason that some people think going to college is beneficial is that they believe

that it is important to be on a clear cut stable path towards a career, rather than a path that can be

more unpredictable. Going to college and working towards a specific goal or career that will earn

you a degree is a very good way to ensuring that you will come out of college with a nice paying

stable job. However, if someone were to not go to college, they would have to find work in

places where a degree isn’t necessary. For one, some of those job options may not pay quite as

much as jobs someone can get with a degree. Second, some of those jobs also may not have set

schedules, predictability, or much job security.

So in conclusion, there is good information to note on both sides of the arguments. Also,

knowing the worth of degrees and majors has many factors that play into it. These factors can

include monetary values, as well as the persons personal goals and interests. Some people

believe that college degrees are a necessary part in obtaining a good career, while others think

college is not worth the time or money. Both sides are valid in their reasoning and each person

would have to decide what option would be the best option for them.
 Works cited

Carnevale, Anthony, et al. “What’s It Worth? The Economic Value of College Majors.” 2011,

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED524305.pdf

“College Costs: FAQs.” BigFuture - Get Ready for College - College Planning, Financial Aid,

Educator Resources, bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/college-costs/college-

costs-faqs.

“College Education Linked to Higher Pay, Job Security, Healthier Behaviors and More Civic

Involvement: New College Board Report.” The College Board, 29 Mar. 2017,

www.collegeboard.org/releases/2016/college-education-linked-to-hgher-pay-job-

security-healthier-behaviors-and-more-civic-involvement.

Porter, Kathleen. “The Value of a College Degree.” ERIC Digest, 2002, https://permanent-

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Price, Michael. “7 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Go To College and 4 Things To Do

Instead.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 17 June 2014,

www.huffingtonpost.com/michaelprice/7-reasons-why-you-shouldn_1_b_5501111.html.

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