Benefits That Outweigh The Cost Of College

Many children aim to go not only to college, but graduate college after high school. Some reasons may be to become the first graduate in their family or to achieve their desired career and make money. However, many people are against going to college for many reasons as well, one being the cost. Over the years, the costs of college has skyrocketed making many people believe that they are better without it. However, when college has many benefits that outweigh the costs, it is important to attend so that it can set you up for a better life in the future. College is worth its cost because it allows students to become more independent. Also, getting a higher education allows you to make more money and learn skills that many companies value
College graduates have an advantage because they have four years to transition from living at home to becoming employed and living on their own. College gives students a chance to be independent, without having to worry about the things that regular adults do. Michael Roth, the president of a liberal arts university, explains the importance of college. Roth states that “a successful liberal arts education develops the capacity for innovation and for judgment,” (Source B). What he means by this is that universities and colleges allow students to become better decision makers for when they become adults. By practicing rushed decisions, students are able to develop better judgment for dealing with certain situations, without being penalized. High school graduates who work straight out of high school have a lot of responsibilities to handle, like bills, and one wrong mistake can ruin their lives. Pew Research Center also surveyed adults 18 years and over and found that 39% believe the point of college is to help a student grow “personally and intellectually” (Source F). This growth allows the students more independent in a safer environment that non-graduates. College allows students to practice decision making before going out into the real world, which makes it worth its
In fields that require college and even those that do not, these skills that students learn from college and take out into the real world are valued. Leonhardt also mentions that fields like law enforcement and retail “make significantly more with a degree than without one” because “education helps people do higher-skilled work, get jobs with better paying companies or open their own businesses,” (Source D). Students learn and build upon many skills in college such as collaboration, independent work and how to meet deadlines. In the real world, some may not have to opportunity to build these skills if they go straight to a job. Students also stated that the main purpose of college is to teach work-related skills and knowledge or help the student grow personally and intellectually (Source F). These skills that are taught allow students to look more desirable than non-graduates with less skills to employers. Regardless, college is worth the cost because students learn many important skills in college that they would not have learned