College: Why many Should Reconsider
College has been shoved onto almost every child since a young age, and most seem to believe the education it provides is a requirement to make it further in life. What many people don’t pay much attention to are the heavy drawbacks and risks of attending college and the benefits of other options. While college isn’t necessarily a bad option, time and time again we see it seriously stunting the beginning of one’s adult life, and in serious cases even following people into their mid-life. Not having the money, dedication, or long term plan to push their way through comes back to bite too many graduates and can leave them unsure why the college education that’s been sitting on a pedestal for their entire life …show more content…
The typical college budget for the 2016-2017 year averaged at $24,610 for an in-state public college, and $49,320 for a private college (“What's the Price Tag for a College Education?”). At these rates, a majority of students have to take out loans just to get by. In 2012, 71 percent of graduates left a four-year college with some form of student loan debt (“U.S. Student Loan Debt Statistics for 2016.”). The problem we’re seeing is society is pushing students into something not everyone is financially prepared for, without meaningfully informing about other options that won’t result in digging themselves into a hole. This isn’t entirely the fault of college advocates though. In recent years, College tuition has been ballooning, seemingly out of control, and doesn’t seem like it’s going to level off soon. Business Insider reports that “the average annual increase in college tuition from 1980-2014 grew by nearly 260% compared to the nearly 120% increase in all consumer items.” (“This Chart Shows How Quickly College Tuition Has Skyrocketed since 1980.”). While inflation is expected in any economy, the skyrocketing of college tuition is unprecedented, and the only reason people still attend is because of scholarships and loans. Without money from other sources, a majority of students wouldn’t be able to attend college, but because we’re taught that a college education is so important to our future, …show more content…
A bachelor degree, the typical choice for college students, takes about 4 years to complete. A trade school will typically take two years or less to complete, which results in entering the workforce sooner and having extra years of income over the person who goes for a bachelor degree. This would be even more apparent when compared to someone studying for a PhD, who will probably be into their 30’s before done with their education. A trade school education on average, according to The Simple Dollar, costs $33,000 total. On top of this, the average debt after graduating is only $10,000 (“Why You Should Consider Trade School Instead of College.”). While this number many still seem daunting, it’s considerably lower than the average debt a Class of 2016 graduate has, at $37,172 (“U.S. Student Loan Debt Statistics for
College has been shoved onto almost every child since a young age, and most seem to believe the education it provides is a requirement to make it further in life. What many people don’t pay much attention to are the heavy drawbacks and risks of attending college and the benefits of other options. While college isn’t necessarily a bad option, time and time again we see it seriously stunting the beginning of one’s adult life, and in serious cases even following people into their mid-life. Not having the money, dedication, or long term plan to push their way through comes back to bite too many graduates and can leave them unsure why the college education that’s been sitting on a pedestal for their entire life …show more content…
The typical college budget for the 2016-2017 year averaged at $24,610 for an in-state public college, and $49,320 for a private college (“What's the Price Tag for a College Education?”). At these rates, a majority of students have to take out loans just to get by. In 2012, 71 percent of graduates left a four-year college with some form of student loan debt (“U.S. Student Loan Debt Statistics for 2016.”). The problem we’re seeing is society is pushing students into something not everyone is financially prepared for, without meaningfully informing about other options that won’t result in digging themselves into a hole. This isn’t entirely the fault of college advocates though. In recent years, College tuition has been ballooning, seemingly out of control, and doesn’t seem like it’s going to level off soon. Business Insider reports that “the average annual increase in college tuition from 1980-2014 grew by nearly 260% compared to the nearly 120% increase in all consumer items.” (“This Chart Shows How Quickly College Tuition Has Skyrocketed since 1980.”). While inflation is expected in any economy, the skyrocketing of college tuition is unprecedented, and the only reason people still attend is because of scholarships and loans. Without money from other sources, a majority of students wouldn’t be able to attend college, but because we’re taught that a college education is so important to our future, …show more content…
A bachelor degree, the typical choice for college students, takes about 4 years to complete. A trade school will typically take two years or less to complete, which results in entering the workforce sooner and having extra years of income over the person who goes for a bachelor degree. This would be even more apparent when compared to someone studying for a PhD, who will probably be into their 30’s before done with their education. A trade school education on average, according to The Simple Dollar, costs $33,000 total. On top of this, the average debt after graduating is only $10,000 (“Why You Should Consider Trade School Instead of College.”). While this number many still seem daunting, it’s considerably lower than the average debt a Class of 2016 graduate has, at $37,172 (“U.S. Student Loan Debt Statistics for