Introduction
The necessity of college education is one of the most widely discussed topics in the modern era. Although many people appreciate the need to complete education up to the tertiary level, the recent increase in unemployment rates and exorbitant tuition fees and loans has tainted the value of college education not only in the United States but also other countries. However, people cannot wish away the importance of college education in building career opportunities. Students acquire not only knowledge and technical skills but also the confidence to deal with the challenges presented in life. College graduates have reported better salaries and superior soft skills such as leadership and management necessary in the 21 st century compared to their high school counterparts. Individuals cannot ignore the value of education. A college education opens many opportunities for graduates and provides them with the much-needed self-reliant skills to cope up with in the ever challenging world. Although opponents claim that college education comes at an unwarranted cost, evidence shows that it leverages career opportunities and molds an all-around individual.
College Education and Wages
College graduates are at a better position to earn better than salaries and wages compared to their high school counterparts. According to the National Center for Statistics report dubbed the “The Condition of Education 2012,” a college graduate had an average income of about $45,000 compared to their high school counterpart who took home $29,000 (Carnevale et al., 2013). The research further showed that the careers that need a college education come with a host of benefits including insurance, job flexibility, and retirement funds among others. The salary disparity between college and high school graduates has been well-documented. A recent study conducted by Georgetown University found that in comparison with high school graduates, individuals with a college degree make $1 million more in wages over their entire lifetime. The Pew Research Center, in its latest study, proved that the median yearly difference between college and high school graduates stood at $17500 (Kauffman et al., 2018). Therefore, this is enough proof that indeed, a college education is worth the price as it guarantees graduates better earning compared to those who have not attended.
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Career Opportunities
The most plausible pathway towards a better career is through earning a college degree. It is because first, college trains individuals in various expert fields such as medicine, engineering, and architect among many others. Most importantly, it provides individuals with an opportunity to think critically and analytically thus understanding complex subjects. Also, college adds to individual more skills including self-discipline, organization, and the ability to finish tasks. As such, it makes one become an all-around professional well-equipped to explore a variety of fields. Recent research conducted by the Harvard Business School showed that 67% of job postings today require a college degree. However, only 16% of the workers in such professions have such a qualification. It shows that in future, a college education will act as a key towards earning career opportunities (Oreopoulos, & Petronijevic, 2013). Research has continued to show that high school diploma can only lead an individual to less qualified jobs especially those dealing with menial roles. Such professions are usually flooded and do not come with the much-needed job security.
Appreciation of Knowledge
College graduates appreciate more useful knowledge that can make a difference in their lives compared to their high school counterparts. As earlier mentioned, a college education has a thorough program that emphasizes the inculcation of analytical, critical, and creative thinking that could benefit an individual as they go about their daily lives. As such, they have better opportunities to solve problems and overcome the challenges of life. More significantly, college education imparts on individual various soft skills such as leadership, management, conflict resolution, and public speaking among others which have an essential role especially as one wants to venture into the corporate or the political world. According to Beverly Amer, an author at Cengage Learning, "soft skills are essential to career success these days…Your technical skills may help you get the job, but it is your soft skills that will help you keep the job" (Carnevale et al., 2013). High school education, on the contrary, fixes its success on competition of the course syllabus and rarely goes beyond the norm to provide students with the additional necessary knowledge.
Sports and Talent Development
Higher education remains an essential institution given that it provides the learners with the much-needed platform to pursue various talents and abilities. For instance, Americans colleges are known for their emphasis on co-curricular activities such as sports including football, soccer, rugby, baseball, and basketball among others. Although students play these games at the high school level, the level of exposure and competition that students find at the college level sets them towards the path of stardom. Athletes such as Usain Bolt and LeBron James are some of the richest and famous sports people in the world. They began their engagement in sports way back in college. More importantly, college institutions have better facilities to improve the talents. Other than sports, the college offers a variety of courses such as music, dancing, and foreign languages all which are important in career development.
Cultural Sensitive Individuals
College graduates seem to appear more appreciate of the cultural, ethnic, and racial differences in the society. They view the differences as strength and not a weakness. According to research, the number of international students between 2015 and 2016 was at one million (Kauffman et al., 2018). As such, they come with a host of different cultures, languages, and mannerism among others. As they mingle with the native students, there is an exchange of values, perceptions, and ideas thus leading to tolerance. Once there is tolerance and coexistence, certain antisocial characters such as racism, ethnicity, and xenophobia become less apparent in society. As a cosmopolitan society, America is in need of culturally diverse students as this is one of the ways of guaranteeing national and global peace.
Concerns and Recommendations
The primary concerns that come with college education as stated by the opponents include the exorbitant tuition fee, unemployment, and student loan debts. According to research, the US is among the most expensive higher education systems in the world. For private universities, the annual tuition fee is at $33,500 while for public institution sit is at $9700 (Bennett & Wilezol, 2013). More intriguing is that the prices keep increasing. With regards to unemployment, the rate stands at about 3.6%. Student loan debts have accumulated to a whopping $1 trillion (Bennett & Wilezol, 2013). Therefore, such factors can discourage an individual to go to college. However, people should note that students who cannot afford these prices can apply for a scholarship or find colleges that provide such. With regards to unemployment, the college provides students with a variety of soft skills that could be used to enhance self-employment.
Conclusion
Although opponents claim that college education comes at an unwarranted cost, evidence shows that it leverages career opportunities and moulds an all-around individual. Some of the benefits that students can derive from colleges included better job opportunity, better salary, an opportunity to leverage talents, and improved knowledge. Opponents usually cite unemployment rates, high tuition fee, and accumulated loan debts as reasons why college education can be unworthy. However, research continues to show that the benefits of a college education outweigh its shortcomings. With technology and innovation defining the future, the country needs more people in colleges than ever before.
References
Bennett, W. J., & Wilezol, D. (2013). Is college worth it?: A former United States Secretary of Education and a liberal arts graduate expose the broken promise of higher education. Thomas Nelson Inc.
Carnevale, A. P., Rose, S. J., & Cheah, B. (2013). The college payoff: Education, occupations, lifetime earnings. https://repository.library.georgetown.edu/handle/10822/559300
Kauffman, J. M., Hallahan, D. P., Pullen, P. C., & Badar, J. (2018). Special education: What it is and why we need it . Routledge.
Oreopoulos, P., & Petronijevic, U. (2013). Making college worth it: A review of the returns to higher education. The Future of Children, 41-65.
