Does the Cost of College Outweigh The Benefits?
Thesis: The return on a college education is dependent on many variables that can increase the cost and decrease the amount of benefits of college, and for some there may be more beneficial alternatives, but there are many advantages to having a college education of two years or more otherwise.
I. It is often assumed that higher education is the best investment one can make.
A. College graduates make more money, on average, than those who only have a high school education.
1. Not all college degrees are equal.
2. Not every student who attends college is equal.
B. The return on graduating college is often positive, but not always.
1. The return depends on a large amount of variables.
2. The cost may be …show more content…
Less than 60% of students who attend four-year schools finish within six years.
2. The statistics for lower-income students are worse.
B. More competitive schools have a higher rate of graduation, while less competitive schools have a lower rate of graduation.
1. Research suggests that students that attend more selective schools are more likely to graduate.
2. 88 percent of students in more selective schools graduate within six years, while 35 percent of students in non-competitive schools graduate within six years.
VIII. The information that students need to have to understand their options is unfortunately limited and hard to find.
A. One solution is to make information, such as graduation rates, more available to students.
1. Studies show that parents who were shown graduation rates of two public universities chose the higher performing school.
2. The PayScale rankings gives students more information to make better decisions.
B. College Scorecard is helping to increase the transparency of application processes.
1. The College Scorecard shows a school’s average net price, graduation rate, loan default rate, and median borrowed amount.
2. It may not be enough to improve the process of finding
Thesis: The return on a college education is dependent on many variables that can increase the cost and decrease the amount of benefits of college, and for some there may be more beneficial alternatives, but there are many advantages to having a college education of two years or more otherwise.
I. It is often assumed that higher education is the best investment one can make.
A. College graduates make more money, on average, than those who only have a high school education.
1. Not all college degrees are equal.
2. Not every student who attends college is equal.
B. The return on graduating college is often positive, but not always.
1. The return depends on a large amount of variables.
2. The cost may be …show more content…
Less than 60% of students who attend four-year schools finish within six years.
2. The statistics for lower-income students are worse.
B. More competitive schools have a higher rate of graduation, while less competitive schools have a lower rate of graduation.
1. Research suggests that students that attend more selective schools are more likely to graduate.
2. 88 percent of students in more selective schools graduate within six years, while 35 percent of students in non-competitive schools graduate within six years.
VIII. The information that students need to have to understand their options is unfortunately limited and hard to find.
A. One solution is to make information, such as graduation rates, more available to students.
1. Studies show that parents who were shown graduation rates of two public universities chose the higher performing school.
2. The PayScale rankings gives students more information to make better decisions.
B. College Scorecard is helping to increase the transparency of application processes.
1. The College Scorecard shows a school’s average net price, graduation rate, loan default rate, and median borrowed amount.
2. It may not be enough to improve the process of finding