After finishing high school, many students consider the continuation of the studying at a high education institution. Making this choice, they consider both advantages and disadvantages of this choice. On the one hand, the diploma of higher education is believed to increase the chances for a higher salary together with other benefits. On the other hand, there are the potential threats as a diploma do not guarantee a higher income; there are other disadvantages as well. This paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of the higher education.
One of the most obvious advantages of the higher education is the graduate’s salary. The report of Greenstone and Looney (2011) of the Brookings Institution Hamilton Project states that the advantages of a four-year college degree are equal to an investment that returns more than 15% per year. The monetary benefits of the higher education are evident in the lifetime perspective. There is an observed difference of more than 60% earning power in a comparison of the salaries of the graduates and the workers with only high school diploma, namely $21,100 higher for the graduates. The median annual income of a person with just a high school diploma is $35,000, compared to $56,500 with a four-year degree (LaTour, 2014). Furthermore, the diploma of the higher education increases the opportunities for employment. While the rate of unemployment for the four-year college graduates in the USA was more slightly more than 3% in 2012, it was more than 8% of high school graduates (Playdon, 2013). In terms of economics, and not only the way students are handled in a college makes them prepared for the social positions that they will occupy (Deresiewicz, 2013). In this way, there are undoubtedly proofs for the profits of the higher education.
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Among the indirect positive effects of obtaining the higher education is social networking. In the educational institution, there is a great opportunity to be acquainted with a wide variety of people. The key feature of this group of people that makes it special is that they have approximately the same interests, goals, and plans for the future. In this way, the chance is high for finding not only friends but also the potential business partners. Along with this, a variety of persons means a variety of the cultures, and connecting with them may help one to view others differently (Ashton College, 2013).
Together with the advantages described above, another benefit of the higher education is a longer life expectancy, particularly better health. A study conducted in the USA indicated that the life expectancy increased by 7months for each additional year of education. The data have shown that highly educated people have a lower chance of having (and dying from) a number of chronic illnesses. Individuals with college degree together with their children are less likely to have incidences of smoking and obesity. A recent study conducted came to a conclusion that mothers with high education levels usually spend more time with their children, whether they are unemployed or employed. Considering the mortality, four years of higher education lowers five-year mortality by almost 2%. Moreover, the risk of heart diseases reduces by more than 2% and the risk of diabetes by almost 1.3%. An extra year of schooling also lowers the probability poor health reports by approximately 5.8% and reduces lost days of work to sickness by more than 2.1% per year (Department, 2013). Thus, the higher education provides the benefits for one’s personal health.
Findings have it that higher education has made significant contributions to the society. Several authorities typically charge more taxes from highly educated workers. With higher education, workers make higher pension and health insurance contributions. Research has indicated that the US economy has greatly benefited from such contributions. In the year 2011, US provided health insurance of 55% for the employees with high school diplomas, 65% for those with bachelor’s degree, and more than 70% for those with higher degrees (Burd, Smith, & Reisman, 2015). The holders of bachelor’s degree are generally less likely to depend on public assistance programs. Research indicates that in the year 2011, only 2% of individual with this level of education lived in households which rely on the benefits of Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) compared to more than 10% of high school graduates. Higher education has got psychological benefits that are driven by the wealth of the society and the material well-being of individuals. With higher education, there is an increased level of understanding of political issues. There is also an increased likelihood of engagement in voluntary work. Job satisfaction and better performance is also a benefit of higher education as individuals with bachelor degrees tend to like their job as opposed to those with high school diplomas.
Skills obtained from higher education do not necessarily mean a great career. However, these skills are equally significant to a well-rounded and satisfying life. Higher education usually enhances the personal development of an individual in a number of ways. To begin with, higher education increases both verbal and written communication abilities of an individual. Various programs of higher education are characterized by advanced speaking and verbal assignments. An individual is, therefore, able to practice clear communication and self-expression effectively. Additionally, higher education programs usually cultivate the skills of critical thinking. For instance, an individual is able to critically analyze, investigate, and find answers to important life issues. Besides, there is increased capability to identify and solve problems that at come at work and life in general.
Higher education enables one to identify hidden skills. Individuals may find skills that they did not know that they had since, in a higher education environment, one is exposed to new ideas. Ones the skills are identified, they become developed and perfected. This broadens the prospects of an individual’s life. Young people pursuing higher education are also able to realize their passion and work hard to develop it. In a higher education setting, one is capable of dabbling with various disciplines that may wake up the passions that were never realized before. Many higher education programs require a high level of responsibilities and discipline. The students are required to do their assignments well and on time, remain organized, and manage their time perfectly. Once the skills of responsibility and discipline are obtained, they can be applied to all other areas of life including at home and in the workplace. Completion of higher education gives one a sense of accomplishment. In the United States, many people are proud to have a high school diploma. However, being that it is mandatory to be in high school until the age of sixteen makes the attainment of a high school diploma an obligation rather that a choice. Ones one is done with high school, the choice of pursuing a higher level of education comes from an individual’s inner drive. Therefore, many people passionately pursue higher education with an objective to achieve their desires in life.
Nevertheless, there are counter-arguments to the outcomes described above, in other words, the disadvantages of the higher education. According to the Longitudinal Life Patterns Research Program, the higher education may bring the issues to the student’s mental health. The method was the open-ended survey that was filed by students, and most of them reported that their mental health had deteriorated while studying at the university. Students often felt the stress because of the study conditions like the big amount of tasks, deadlines and other factors. The conclusion is that a great proportion of higher education students subjectively experience the mental health concerns compared to their peers who are not in school for higher education (Wierenga, Landstedt & Wyn, 2013). Hence, the higher education may not be beneficial for the mental health.
Another disadvantage that may be stated is that college is likely to slow down innovation, particularly in the sciences. Benjamin Jones, a management professor at Northwestern University, found that the age at which science students make the first patent for their inventions has increased from 23 at the turn of the last century to 32. The explanation proposed to this phenomenon is that many people are stuck in higher education programs that slow down the process of creating the innovations. One more argument connected to this occurrence is that waiting for four or more years to complete higher education can make an individual miss of opportunities as suggested by Mike Gibson, vice president for grants at the Thiel Foundation. (Ghose, 2013). Actually, those who left the high education institutions founded several of the biggest corporations such as Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft, so this theory seems to be significant.
Besides the shortcomings of higher education discussed above, higher education has made students become vulnerable to non-legitimate and non-ethical opportunities given by some degree providers. Some people give misleading advertisements that can be compelling to students who are eager to get a higher education. The ongoing massive positive press about the opportunities and expectations of higher learning has made many people fall for con men and women. Diploma mills exist, and students are usually required to verify the status of their providers. Additionally, there are institutions which mask some specific accreditations with the aim of attracting students who do not suspect such. The accreditations, however, may be relevant in the licensure and professional programs. Students who intend to pursue higher education programs are advised to be careful and sure of the causes that they intend to pursue and if they will meet their expectations so as to avoid unexpected outcomes.
To sum up, the claims about the outcomes of the higher education remain contradictory. The researchers prove that the higher education leads to a higher income and better health, together with the social networking. Despite this, there are researchers that do not agree with these findings; the same situation is about the mental health. Nevertheless, students will choose to continue their studies as long as society believes that the higher education is the key to a brighter future.
References
Ashton College. (2013). The Many Benefits of Higher Education. Ashton College . Retrieved 28 January 2017, from http://www.ashtoncollege.ca/the-many-benefits-of-higher-education/
Burd, E. L., Smith, S. P., & Reisman, S. (2015). Exploring business models for MOOCs in higher education. Innovative Higher Education , 40 (1), 37-49. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10755-014-9297-0
Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills (BIS). (2013). The Benefits of Higher Education Participation for Individuals and Society: Key Findings and Reports "The Quadrants”. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/254101/bis-13-1268-benefits-of-higher-education-participation-the-quadrants.pdf
Deresiewicz, W. (2013). The Disadvantages of an Elite Education. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic1446092.files/Education%20Essays/Disadvantages%20of%20Higher%20Ed.pdf
Ghose, T. (2013). The Pros and Cons of Higher Education. Live Science. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from http://www.livescience.com/37030-college-pros-and-cons.html
LaTour, A. (2014). Top 4 Benefits of Higher Education. Goodchoicesgoodlife.org. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from http://www.goodchoicesgoodlife.org/choices-for-young-people/the-benefits-of-higher-education/
Playdon, J. (2013). Benefits of Higher Education: Graduate Salaries and More. Top Universities . Retrieved 28 January 2017, from http://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/daily-news024/benefits-higher-education-graduate-salaries-more
Wierenga A., Landstedt E. & Wyn J. (2013). Revisiting disadvantage in higher education. Melbourne: University of Melbourne. Retrieved 28 January 2017, from http://web.education.unimelb.edu.au/yrc/linked_documents/revisiting_disadvantage_in_higher_education.pdf
