With College graduations across the country about a month from starting. The question that almost every former or current college student has asked themselves. Is a college degree still worth in 2016 due to the cost and other factors answering this question can be perplexing for some. Many advocates for college would have us to believe that college is one the best options to consider once graduating high school. But with the unemployment rate for college graduates increasing every year and the value of a undergraduate degree losing worth.  Therefore causing students to contemplate enrolling in a maters or doctoral program to keep up in the competitive workforce.  Some would say students should seek out other options like entrepreneurship or vocational school which often times are cheaper than attending a four year university.  This debate requires us to have an open-mind to see both sides and to attian a clear understanding.

 College is a Safe Bet

Many aficionados of college would side with the sentiment that college is a  “safe bet” especially when you’re fresh out of high school and probably have no idea what you want to do with your life. College gives us a great opportunity to learn, explore and figure out what we want to do in life. Plenty of evidence from two creditable sources suggests that “on average, a college degree is worth it”. College graduates make an average of 84 percent more over the course of a lifetime than those who only attend high school. This concept has been told to many of us by family, guidance counselors or peers that going to college is the best option to find a good job.  Some would suggest that college is still worth it, but there is not one size fits all. College should be a person to person evaluation on their skills, what they’re trying to achieve and socioeconomic factors.  For example, if a student isn’t to sure what they want to major in when they first gradate high school. The student should consider  apprenticeships or going to a community college instead of a four-year institution.  This will help lower the debt a student might occur if they went to a university and the first two to three years  trying to figure out what they want to major in, because they had no idea what they wanted to do.

Downsides of a College Degree

The cynics of college tend to question the value of a college degree with the rising of tuition and slim job opportunity. The prospect of going to a four-year university can look like more of a risk than reward. Also adding to their suspicions are a few outstanding examples of college dropouts who are wildly successful, such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg to name a few. Students begin to wonder whether they might have been better off working instead of racking up debt for a college degree. The high cost of tuition, the uncertain job market, and the new wave of young entrepreneurs are out weighing the cost to attend a university. Also many publications point out since 2010 less than 60 percent of students at four-year institutions graduate, and many who do are in fields that don’t require a degree two statistics that indicate a potential over subscription in college. This shows up in the increase of people going and graduating from college with an undergraduate degree. Causing the degree to be undervalued and consequently cause students to be underemployed.

Final Thoughts

Determining if college is still worth the cost for students is a very subjective and will differ from who you ask. In the end not going to get a bachelor’s degree right out of high school does not necessarily mean most non-degree seeking students should simply go to work. Many would benefit from a community college education or taking an associate degree.

What do you think is college still worth the high cost of tuition?  Comment Below & if you enjoyed this post please share!

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