Lora 1
Steven C. Lora
Professor Leis
English 100
23 July 2020
Is College Worth It?
In the recent decade, this question has popped up in the minds of young adolescent
lives countless times. The thought of sacrificing nearly four to eight years of your life into
farthing your education in hope to help yourself in the near future for multiple reasons. The
question isn't whether college is the right decision for you, it is more simple: is college still
worth it. Is college still worth the time? Is college still worth the financial burended. Is
college still worth the sacrifice?
College is viewed by many people in many different ways and perspectives. College
is a tremendously stepping stone to help further your education and life in a new and right
direction to strive for success. It comes with many benefits as well as it comes with
complications throughout the process. Many closed minded individuals believe that college is
a waste of time and money. The majority of those individuals come from a different time
period where a college education or degree wasn't as accessible and valuable during their
time. However, there have been numerous researches and evidence found that becoming a
college graduate with a degree has a multitude of benefits for the remainder of those
individuals lives. Thoses who would think so would fully believe that college is one way to
lay down the foundation of future successes and help create new doors opening for oneself.
With this being the case, college is in fact still worth it intoday present day. Although there
are numerous reasons why college is still worth it in the present day. The most purposeful
reason for supporting why college is still worth all the time, money, and sacrifice are
employment rates & annual income.
This study source was downloaded by 100000810028358 from CourseHero.com on 10-08-2021 18:32:48 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/78851316/Draft-2-Is-College-Worth-It/
Lora 2
Accomplished writer Jack Remondi conducted a research survey from two legitimate
organizations Ipsos & Navient. The study conducted was named “Money Under 35”, which
found that college graduates holding a degree receive a higher level of annual income and
much more. There were 2 groups of individuals that were being compared as college
graduates with a degree and their peers who only obtained their high school graduates
holding a diploma. The results that were found were quite shocking at first glance. In the
study it was reported, “80% of bachelor degree holders are employed full time” (Remondi).
Individuals who are college graduates and hold a degree have a much higher likelihood of
being or finding employment in the future compared to their peers who only hold a high
school diploma.
In “Even with Debt, College Still Pays Off,” published in The Atlantic, Gillian B.
White briefly explains the down side of college which is the debt of attending college but still
gives a clear view of how overall college still pays off in the long run. White explains that
there is a widespread unemployment taking place from college graduates during this time and
it may cause families to think long and hard about their child's next decision in life for their
future. In the data shown from research gathered from Georgetown University, the
unemployment rate between college graduates and high diploma recipients hold a 15%
difference. College graduates have a low 3.3% unemployment rate compared to high school
diploma holders whose unemployment rate is much higher at 17.8% and expected to rise.
Henceforth, showing that graduating college with a degree in hand will greatly improve your
chance of being employed compared to their peers.
Well founded organization College Possible publisher of “Is College Still Worth It”
article is another source showing the importance of college inorder to further your education
and success in life. Within the article, studies were conducted on how the benefits that have
been found are, “college degree holders are 24% more likely to be employed by 2020 65% if
This study source was downloaded by 100000810028358 from CourseHero.com on 10-08-2021 18:32:48 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/78851316/Draft-2-Is-College-Worth-It/
Lora 3
jobs will most likely require some sort of college education or experience”(College Possible).
This helps implement the servariety of obtaining a college degree in order to at least be able
to find or be acceptable for some types of work in the near future.
All in all these three well published and evident sources of information help show and
connect the ideology that employment rates are very much well realized on showing or
obtaining a college degree and are planned to have a much greater detailed impact in the
years to come. Employment rates are very much adapting and changing over time. So who
has any idea on what the future holds for requirements of a job title now or even in the future.
Therefore, It would very much easily be known that in the near future it is going to be
prominent that the majority of job titles will require a college degree of some sort due to the
skill set attributed during that learning process. If the fear of not being employed in the near
future with not having a college degree for most jobs to come why don't we discuss the quite
large income gap and wage between college graduates with a degree and their peers with a
high school diploma.
Real Clear Education publication resource organization and author Jack Remondi
evidently put together, “Yes, a College Degree Is Still Worth it.” Within the article Remondi
goes into detail and reveals that college graduates who obtain higher levels of education also
receive a higher level of income from a study that was conducted by Ipsos and Navient called
on “Money Under 35.” With the data collected it was found that, “more degree holders
owning homes and having well balanced savings compared to either counterparts who feel
less financially stable.” (Remondi). Now proven that degree holders are more likely to own
their own homes and have a more well balanced way of life compared to their peers. What is
to say that less stress on financial burden from the individuals who have degrees.
Furthermore, Remendi puts into light how important college can be to one's future
success and teaches individuals the importance of education, especially for the later part of
This study source was downloaded by 100000810028358 from CourseHero.com on 10-08-2021 18:32:48 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/78851316/Draft-2-Is-College-Worth-It/
Lora 4
one's life. Remendi claims that more young adults should be more knowledgeable on how the
college system works. Once the choice of going to college students are mainly left on their
own to figure things out and it has a definite effect on them in a negative way. The evidence
shows that, “Only 6/10 students finishing with a bachelor degree within six years, the best
assistance is before a student decides where to attend school, long before spending hardearned savings or taking out student loans.”(Remondi). This reveals that students are not
educated on the topic or even have a plan in store. Henceforth, Eastern Connecticut State
University put together an “Eastern in Four Program '' that helps incoming freshmen develop
an education guide.
To put your mind further into perspective both evident sources “Even with Debt,
College Still Pays Off,” published in The Atlantic, written by Gillian B. White & “Is College
Still Worth It” published by College Possible help strengthen the idea that college graduates
with degrees and individuals with only high school diplomas income salaries are greatly
different. In a recent study conducted by New York Fed from The Atlantic, “Even with Debt
College Still Pays Off” it was reported that,“college graduates earn roughly 80% more annual
income then their peers who finish or attend college.” (White). This statistics shows
connections on how important the fact from in the passage before on how students are very
much encouraged to not only attend college but finish and earn a degree in order to receive
tremendous rewards that will follow shortly after. It is not only enough to attend college but
to finish college is the prominent end goal. In the data, “College graduates with a degree
earned their income annually increased over time tremendously. Rather than high school
diploma holders whose income stays the same or decreases due to the all changing tax rates.”
(White). Those who earned a college degree were found to earn more money longer down the
line. As well as College Possible, article “Is College Still Worth It,” study reported, “49%
believe that a four year degree will most likely lead to a higher lifetime earning from
This study source was downloaded by 100000810028358 from CourseHero.com on 10-08-2021 18:32:48 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/78851316/Draft-2-Is-College-Worth-It/
Lora 5
obtaining a 4 year degree according to Results for America.” (College Possible). Results for
America is a tool used for research and a survey of individuals in order to receive data.
Results for America, found the total wages between non college attendees and college
graduates are dramatically different. The numbers reported were, “College graduates who
earned a 4 year degree would on average make $500,000 to $1.2 million more total salary
income in a span of their life compared to their peers who had their high school diploma.”
(College Possible). Overall, it can be concluded that the income gap between college
graduates and high diploma holders are greatly different over the span of their lifetime.
This study source was downloaded by 100000810028358 from CourseHero.com on 10-08-2021 18:32:48 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/78851316/Draft-2-Is-College-Worth-It/