What Does a College Education Buy An 
The Virtues of Higher Education
In the essay “What A College Education Buys” written by Christopher Caldwell, the author questions whether or not the value of a college education today supports the high cost of obtaining a degree. Having a college degree is viewed as having achieved some measure of accomplishment. People think you are more intelligent for having gone to college. Employers seem to be more eager to hire college graduates. Certainly we have been told that having a degree will help to ensure you earn more money. But is being a college graduate an obtainable goal for everyone? Can we afford to succeed or has college become one more area that is reserved for more affluent people? According to the Caldwell “…the price of college long ago outstripped the value of these goods” (213). This must be rectified to make college accessible to everyone who wants to attend. The value of a college degree cannot be measured in dollars and cents alone. A college education buys the crucial development of self-esteem and creates more and better opportunities for individuals to succeed in all aspects of life.
As a college student, I can say that attending college has made me feel as if I am doing something valuable for myself and my family. In this way college is valuable. Firstly, it gives a sense of purpose to the student. There is a means to and end and it is generally perceived that upon obtaining your degree that you will be hired in your chosen field. Secondly, college is a social environment. Attending college gives you the opportunity to meet new people you might not have met otherwise. As Caldwell writes about the non-educational benefits of college he states that “Colleges are the country’s most effective marriage brokers” and goes on to say that “Anyone can benefit from them” (213). College can also teach young adults about being responsible and about taking pride in their work. After all, you are mostly accountable to yourself as a college education isn’t
In the essay “What A College Education Buys” written by Christopher Caldwell, the author questions whether or not the value of a college education today supports the high cost of obtaining a degree. Having a college degree is viewed as having achieved some measure of accomplishment. People think you are more intelligent for having gone to college. Employers seem to be more eager to hire college graduates. Certainly we have been told that having a degree will help to ensure you earn more money. But is being a college graduate an obtainable goal for everyone? Can we afford to succeed or has college become one more area that is reserved for more affluent people? According to the Caldwell “…the price of college long ago outstripped the value of these goods” (213). This must be rectified to make college accessible to everyone who wants to attend. The value of a college degree cannot be measured in dollars and cents alone. A college education buys the crucial development of self-esteem and creates more and better opportunities for individuals to succeed in all aspects of life.
As a college student, I can say that attending college has made me feel as if I am doing something valuable for myself and my family. In this way college is valuable. Firstly, it gives a sense of purpose to the student. There is a means to and end and it is generally perceived that upon obtaining your degree that you will be hired in your chosen field. Secondly, college is a social environment. Attending college gives you the opportunity to meet new people you might not have met otherwise. As Caldwell writes about the non-educational benefits of college he states that “Colleges are the country’s most effective marriage brokers” and goes on to say that “Anyone can benefit from them” (213). College can also teach young adults about being responsible and about taking pride in their work. After all, you are mostly accountable to yourself as a college education isn’t
Cited: Caldwell, Christopher. "What a College Education Buys." Writing from Sources, 8th ed. Ed. Brenda Spatt. Boston: Bedford, 2011. 213-5. Print.