While the cost of attendance is off putting, the rewards of a post-secondary degree can be awfully enticing. According to Source D, full-time workers with a bachelor’s degree earn more than 83% than those who have only graduated with a high-school diploma. According …show more content…
to Source F, the gap in annual earnings was nearly $20,000 between those who were college educated and those who were not. Even though the mass amounts of debt that will undoubtedly accompany the cost of college education will be overwhelming, long-term the financial investment is wise, because you are making an investment in your future and your own abilities. According to Source D, compared to other stocks and investments, a college degree had an annual return of more that 15%. Financially, investing in a college education makes “cents!”.
The financial benefits are not the only returns people receive on their investments in a college education.
According to Source B, a liberal arts degree in particular helps individuals build and develop tools for life such as focus, flexibility, innovation, judgement, and particularly continual learning. Attending college will equip students with the tools to keep learning through their entire life, which will help make them more well-rounded and informed individuals.
However, while college is beneficial to most, there are many options for those who do not choose the post-secondary pathway. According to Source A, many schools during the 1990’s shut down shop-classes in attempt to help prepare more students to go to college, but there are many jobs that do not require degrees and are viable to make a living off of. We will always need mechanics, plumbers, electricians, and construction workers. These blue collar jobs can never be outsourced because they are required to be local, and will stay in stable business simply because they fill a niche in most people’s lives.
College is useful for building the skills to learn more, to make a healthy financial investment in yourself, and is overall worth it to attend. However, it is always important to remember that there are many other sustainable jobs available for those who choose not to go or cannot attend for any particular
reason.