Hi everyone, today I’m going to talking about something you and your parents have prepared your entire life for. Life after high school. But more specifically, school after high school.
As college bound AP students, most of us are strongly considering college. But is our consideration a smart one? Is college really worth it?
First and foremost, it is important to define what makes something “worth it.” Is it the financial benefits? Is it the life improvements it brings? Or both? In order to have an objective, holistic analysis of the value of college, both of these factors must be considered.
My claim: In addition to the generally better lives college graduates live, the increasing cost of not going to college and the financial benefits of going to college makes higher education still very much “worth it.”
What do the people have to say? Well, a recent poll shows that despite the cost, most college graduates say that college was a good investment for them. That’s a good sign (“Is College”).
Let’s get into the specifics. Is college a good …show more content…
The answer can be summed up in one word: cost. A poll conducted by Pew Research Center shows that 75% of Americans think a college education has become too expensive for most people (Is). And they aren’t entirely wrong: with state schools costing on average about $9000 a year and private institutions costing about $31,000 a year, the cost of college seems daunting (“FAQ’s”). But the key word here is “seems.” According to MIT economist David Autor, the cost of college is actually negative $500,000 (Leonhardt). Yes, that’s right: over the long run, college is cheaper than free. However, the cost of going to college in the 1980’s was only about negative $250,000 (Leonhardt); and the fact that more than 6 out of 10 jobs in the United States require a postsecondary degree (Jarosz and Mather), means that the cost of not going to college, has risen
As college bound AP students, most of us are strongly considering college. But is our consideration a smart one? Is college really worth it?
First and foremost, it is important to define what makes something “worth it.” Is it the financial benefits? Is it the life improvements it brings? Or both? In order to have an objective, holistic analysis of the value of college, both of these factors must be considered.
My claim: In addition to the generally better lives college graduates live, the increasing cost of not going to college and the financial benefits of going to college makes higher education still very much “worth it.”
What do the people have to say? Well, a recent poll shows that despite the cost, most college graduates say that college was a good investment for them. That’s a good sign (“Is College”).
Let’s get into the specifics. Is college a good …show more content…
The answer can be summed up in one word: cost. A poll conducted by Pew Research Center shows that 75% of Americans think a college education has become too expensive for most people (Is). And they aren’t entirely wrong: with state schools costing on average about $9000 a year and private institutions costing about $31,000 a year, the cost of college seems daunting (“FAQ’s”). But the key word here is “seems.” According to MIT economist David Autor, the cost of college is actually negative $500,000 (Leonhardt). Yes, that’s right: over the long run, college is cheaper than free. However, the cost of going to college in the 1980’s was only about negative $250,000 (Leonhardt); and the fact that more than 6 out of 10 jobs in the United States require a postsecondary degree (Jarosz and Mather), means that the cost of not going to college, has risen