Value Of College Education

A college degree is the most important factor in achieving professional success in all fields. According to Georgetown University, approximately two-thirds of all job openings in the next five years will require some form of college education, with a third of all jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree. In terms of earning capacity, the jobs requiring a college education offer nearly twice as much in total pay than jobs only requiring a high school diploma. Secondly, United States Census Bureau reports that the rate of people receiving a bachelor’s degree in the last ten years alone has increased by 15 percent. If this trend continues, an individual who does not pursue a college education could be at risk of falling severely behind the growing number of young, qualified professionals in the job
Lastly, the industries employing primarily high school graduates are dwindling in scope. For example, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 80 percent of manufacturing jobs now require a minimum of a certification from a trade school. This figure has risen over 15 percent in the last two decades, further validating the common conception that the value of a high school education is lessening in value. In addition to this, according to the same source, the total job opportunities for individuals without a college education has decreased seven percent in the last ten years. In all, the continual decline of value in the high school diploma has necessitated the pursuit of a college education to keep in pace with the rapidly changing