ipl-logo

Arguments For And Against A College Education's Worthiness

1432 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Value of a college educaation

Arguments For and Against a College Education’s Worthiness
More than 44 million people owe collectively a total of more than $1.5 trillion in student debt alone, discouraging many to pursue a higher education (“Is a College Education Worth It?” ProCon.org). For decades the world has wondered whether college is truly worth the debt. A high school graduate earns on average $1.2 million in their lifetime, whereas a college graduate earns on average $2.1 million (Krakoff). Whether the value of a college education is worth the expense, time, and effort put in has become controversial with observers from both sides of the issue putting forth reasons for their positions.
First, those who argue that the value of a college education is beneficial and …show more content…

Vivek Wadhwa, an entrepreneur who holds a Masters in Business Administration, states college graduates “learn how to interact with each other…they develop skills which make them innovative” (“Is a College Education Worth it?” ProCon.org). When students join clubs, take part in student organizations, be a part in discussions and debates, and, in general, participate in college activities, classes, and lifestyles they learn interpersonal skills which is an important skill used …show more content…

College costs three times as much as it did 30 years ago (“Making Headlines Since the ‘70’s: Is College Worth it?”). Along with student debt, college degree-requiring jobs pay less than jobs that don’t require a degree. A college graduate featured in the news broadcast Weekend All Things Considered stated “I work at a call center and I make $10 an hour. And I feel like a loser.” Another said “I’m just about broke and I’m about to graduate.” College students graduate with no experience, no money, and student debt. Kevin Carey, a higher education writer and policy analyst and host of the news broadcast, stated “ It is possible to be cheated by the higher education system.” As a whole, 1.5 trillion is owed in student debt, as mentioned before, and the number continues to rise. William J. Bennet, the United States former Secretary of Education, wrote a book titled: Is College Worth It? In the first chapter, “A Borrowing Binge,” he writes about his encounter with a 34 year old bartender. The bartender finished college with $50,000 in debt to pay and still had about $40,000 left. Bennet stated the bartender “felt disillusioned with his prospects of ever paying it back” and quotes the bartender “‘I didn’t go to college to have this job,’ he said” and “‘I’m living in a box.’” The

Show More
Related

Summary Of Is College Worth It Soon New Data Say By David Leonhardt

1660 Words | 7 Pages

In today’s society, it has been found out that college graduates have a hard time seeking a job and end up with a sky-high student debt. This reality then poses a question, is going to college worth the time and money? An essay in the New York Times published in May 2014 entitled, “Is College Worth It? Clearly New Data Say,” by David Leonhardt states, “For all the struggles that many young college graduates face, a four-year degree has probably never been more valuable” (33). In his essay, Leonhardt sets the stage by describing the struggles a college graduate might have such as student debt, no work after graduating, and accepting jobs they feel overqualified.

Read More

Summary Of Should Everyone Go To College By Stephanie Owen And Sawhill

1540 Words | 7 Pages

Adam (2012) acknowledge that the majority of the public felt that getting a college degree was not a good value for money (p. 2). “For example, 57% of those surveyed said they did not get good value for their money with higher education, and 75% said that college is too expensive for most Americans” (Adam, 2012, p. 2). There is interesting tension in the publics opinion in regard to college. Many college presidents have noticed a number of trends in higher education, especially the rise of student loan debt. “In addition, the majority of presidents (52%) said that college students study less now than they did 10 years ago” (Adam, 2012, p. 1).

Read More

Analysis: Why College Isn T Worth It

361 Words | 2 Pages

Why College Isn’t Worth It Attending college is something that many High School students look forward to as a buffer or a way to make the transition into adulthood easier, but a rising question has people considering: Is going to college really worth it? While some describe college as their best years, it leaves most attendees in debt and with a degree they may never use. Between tuition fees, traveling, housing, food, and textbooks, all college students are bound to owe at least a few thousand.

Read More

Should Everyone Go To College By Stephanie Owen And Sawhill

2162 Words | 9 Pages

Do you know how the cost of college, including tuition, fees, and living expenses, weighs against the potential benefits of obtaining a degree? Both Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill, authors of "Should Everyone Go to College," and Charles Fain Lehman, author of "The Student Loan Trap: When Debt Delays Life," discuss these significant beneficiaries in their writings. All authors cover the burden of student loan debt that can permeate various aspects of an individual's life, affecting not only their financial well-being but also their mental, emotional, and physical health. Firstly, to start off, in Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill’s essay “Should Everyone Go to College” they explore the debate surrounding the idea that attending college is necessary or beneficial for everyone. Owen and Sawhill

Read More

Even With Debt, College Still Pays Off By Gillian B. White

773 Words | 4 Pages

He argues, “Even if they get the degree, they’re stuck with a huge bill..” (Reich 398). Although it is true that college can leave many in debt, that debt can be filled with a higher-salary job obtained due to having a degree. The only inconvenience that can be found in a college education is the cost and temporary debt that will be seen as worthwhile in the future. There are so many factors that weigh into why college is essential, but very few logical arguments are against it.

Read More

Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say Essay

878 Words | 4 Pages

In the article, “Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say” by The New York Times explains that college is more valuable than ever. The New York Times explains how "college graduates are feeling more overqualified for the job that they do. " Due to the fact that they are not getting paid as much, as they would at a job using their degree.

Read More

Analysis: Is College Really Worth The Cost?

651 Words | 3 Pages

“As college students head back to the classroom this semester, a harsh reality confronts them - the rewards for the time, energy, and money that young people put into college are less than they were a decade ago”(Source C). Young college graduates have seen wages, deteriorate. This lack of wage growth has been surprising to those who have read about the ast unfilled need for college graduates. After gains in the 1980s and 1990s, hourly wages for young college graduated in 2000 decreases. For young college-educated men in 2000 hourly wages were $22.75, but almost dropped a full dollar $21.77 by 2010.

Read More

It's Time To End Tuition Analysis

371 Words | 2 Pages

Going to college is similar to going to the casino, in the sense that many people are told they should be willing to take a loss for a possible win in the end. In his essay “It’s Time to End Tuition,” Jon Wiener tackles the problem we have in America in which students incur massive amounts of debt as a result of attending college. He is successful in painting a picture for his audience with an analogy describing how many people attending college in pursuit of higher education end up owing “more on their student loans than they do on their credit cards” (Wiener). In order to stop student loan debt problems in America we should provide more opportunities for individuals who desire more education by making tuition at public colleges free which

Read More

Not What It Used To Be Written For The Economist

623 Words | 3 Pages

As opposed to much of the past, most jobs today require at least a small amount of higher education, and the work field is increasingly competitive. This need for further education allows colleges to raise tuition costs, as most people have no choice but to pay the fees to have a career. Colleges are also spending more money trying to compete in rankings. Despite all this spending, the article states that “America has only the 15th-largest proportion of young people with a university

Read More

The Burden Of College Debt Essay

2949 Words | 12 Pages

Taylor Warren Prof. Hurla English 102 9 April 2023 The Burden of College Debt College provides a lot of things for all their students. It teaches them how to function in society, how to become your own person mentally, and provides them with a leg up in interviews against people that may have not gone to college. It does these things and many more, but the price of learning has never stopped increasing. College has become increasingly more expensive in recent years, which makes a college education one of the highest financial investments a person makes in their lifetime.

Read More

Why College Cost So Much

794 Words | 4 Pages

With 42.3 million people struggling to pay off the $1.3 trillion dollars worth of debt, it makes us question, how much is education worth to our society? According to an article from Medical Economics, it states that “a new study by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland found that jobholders with two years of graduate school earn substantially more money than do mere college graduates” (“Grad School means a higher salary,” 1997). The study revealed that on average college graduates made “twice as much” as their high school graduate peers. This is a extremely revealing study that shows how beneficial higher education is and suggests the need for college but that does not inherently justify the costs. College tuition has steadily

Read More

Is College Worth It

1022 Words | 5 Pages

In the world we live in today. Going to college is no longer a choice, or privilege, but rather a need for a brighter future . So the big question that happens to be going around is, “Is College really worth it?”According to Andrew J. Rotherham’s article “Actually, college is very much worth it.”, “5 Ways Ed Pays”produced by (The College board), and “Why College Isn't (And Shouldn’t have to be) For Everyone” written by Robert Reich. The answer to that question is yes.

Read More

Essay On The Cost Of College Tuition

1145 Words | 5 Pages

Many people dream of a life filled with riches, but that dream is hard to obtain without a college degree. It is somewhat ironic how people dream of being a successful student and going to college but the cost of tuition turns that dream into a horrible nightmare. It is not a shock to most people when they that college tuition is expensive, but in the past few years it has increased to an all-time high. Lower and middle class students have now begun to realize that college tuition is holding them away from their dreams. Even though college tuition could provide opportunities for job creation and economic growth, tuition is not affordable for the average American household which in effect, prohibits students from taking opportunities like going to college in the first place.

Read More

College Becoming Overpriced

1381 Words | 6 Pages

Although a college education is becoming a necessity and leads to great success, it is overpriced, leaving most of us Americans in tremendous debt. In today’s society a college degree is almost a necessity if someone wants to be successful. Although some Americans do make it well without a degree, most make it better with one. Those with a high school diploma can look forward

Read More

Argumentative Essay: Is A College Degree Worth It?

418 Words | 2 Pages

As a High School Junior looking at jaw dropping tuition prices, my family and I often ask ourselves a question I’m sure many other American households are challenged with: Is a college degree actually worth it? Once you look past the recent unemployment rate for college grads, you’ll find that a college degree proves to be highly beneficial once placed in a career. Degree holders often enjoy benefits such as higher pay, higher-skilled work, and an intellectual advantage over their coworkers that do not have a degree. These benefits often outweigh the seemingly outrageous cost of college, making the price tag more than worth it.

Read More

More about Arguments For And Against A College Education's Worthiness

Related Topics

Open Document