The American debate around whether a college education is worth it began when the colonists arrived from Europe and founded "New College" (later renamed Harvard University) in 1636. With 20.2 million US college students in 2015 and average student debt at around $28,950, the debate continues today. People who endorse that college is worth it promote that college graduates have higher employment rates, bigger salaries, and more employment benefits than high school graduates. They hold college graduates also have better interpersonal skills, live longer, have healthier children, and have proven their opportunity to get ahead a career milestone. People who support that college is not worth it defend that the debt from college loans is too high …show more content…
The 1944 GI Bill assist some of the enrollment gains and by the beginning of the 1945-1946 school year, 88,000 veterans were accepted into the program; by 1946, during one million were accepted; and by 1950, 14 million veterans were in college. Women represented roughly 40% of enrollment in the 1939-1940 school year but that number dropped to 32% in 1950. Individual schools implemented honor programs, specialty seminars, study abroad, and smaller section sizes to meet the needs of higher performing students. By 1960, national enrollment was at 3.6 million and at 7.9 million in 1970. Society became concerned in the college lives of "Joe College" and "Betty Coed" and created the college model of graduating in four years, marrying the college sweetheart, and result in a good job. …show more content…
In looking at stats from that time a male college graduate earned about 20% more than the non college graduate which ultimately grew to 38% by the end of the eighties. However, the eighties saw a significant increase in college costs which grew faster than inflation and outpaced the average family income (2). As we fast forward to current times were college debt has become an issue of contention among students and politicians one must take a thorough look at at the worth of a college degree groing at over 2,000 dollars per second student loan debt is now approaching 1.3 trillion and institutions across the country are now feeling the pinch of declining enrollment and funding due to the loss of applicants as many students fear accumulating a massive debt load once they