Higher education in the United States of America is often times looked upon as a necessity to secure a high-paying job, increase employment opportunities, or further an individual's list of life achievements. However, is college truly worth its value in the long run? Today, nearly sixty-six percent of high school students go straight into college, regardless of tuition cost. As the price range to obtain a higher education continuously increases every year, teens all over the nation are less likely to attend. The cost for higher education interests me because as a current college freshman, the process of going to college and getting a bachelor's degree is what has been the expectation since kindergarten. As a pre-pharmacy student at the University of South Carolina, I am qualified to discuss how expensive a college education is to the majority of Americans because ninety one percent of our student body receives financial aid. Personally, regardless of the cost, a college education will always be worth it. I propose that the cost should be lowered, which in return will enroll more students and hopefully boost the economy. 

Parents shovel money out each semester, hoping that their student's efforts in the classroom will bring respectable jobs, and a comfortable life. In reality, attending college virtually tests our financial stability as Americans citizens. Graduates should feel confident and qualified with the proper training when entering the workforce, not the burden of years in tuition to pay back. Student loan debt is an increasing focal point in America's issues, but it seems the cost of going to college could definitely be cut down. However, earning a college degree not only shows your work ethic and dedication. It also allows graduates to grow into mature intellectuals and competitive candidates for jobs. Yes, college creates a financial burden on most, but the exposure and learning experiences students gain are critical as young Americans looking to enter the workforce. 

 Employers usually seek out applicants based on education levels. A college degree screams "that you have spent four years in a place where you were forced to consider new ideas, to meet new people, to ask new questions, and to learn to imagine," making that expensive tuition you are still paying off worthwhile. Paying for college is also worth it because more and more jobs are making it a requirement before hiring. The emphasis placed on a bachelor's degree today is equal to what the high school diploma was forty years ago. Both of my parents attended technical college after high school and were fortunate enough to graduate with little to no debt. Besides grades and a solid resume, college is an experience that teaches students life lessons that will also play a role in the real world. Critical decision making, the value of relationships and being exposed to many cultures is something college students admire the most. These traits build character as well, allowing college to have a positive, everlasting impact on students. Rather than just being thrown into the work force immediately after high school, college acts as an ideal transition stage that gives young Americans the option to explore any field of choice before choosing it to be their occupation. However, this phenomenon of choosing your own major leads to underemployment as well. The last thing any parent wants to see is their child working in a field they are over-qualified for after paying thousands of dollars for a college education. 

One informative article I researched surrounding the effects of attending college discusses both the good and bad sides to this topic. This article provides an overall view to the topic, "Is College worth it?" by providing both the pros and cons of the argument. Both sides included statements that people who argue that college is worth it contend that college graduates have higher employment rates, bigger salaries, and more work benefits than high school graduates. It would only make sense that potential job applicants with college degrees are already more qualified than those without. People who argue that college is not worth it contend that the debt from college loans is too high and delays graduates from saving for retirement, buying a house, or getting married (ProCon). Regardless of whether the pros outweigh the cons or vice-versa it is ultimately up to the individual as to if attending a university will better them for later in life. A second article found proposes the thought that statistically income levels of college graduates in the United States of America tend to be significantly higher than individuals with just a high school diploma. This supports my claim as it takes an economic standpoint to compare the projected salaries of college educated students (Sohn). The author of this article is Emily Sohn. She is a freelance journalist from Minneapolis currently working for Discovery News. 

Jeffrey Selingo wrote an article centered on the value placed on a college degree in American society. He states many surveys and historical facts to gain an overall consensus of how different people look at their education's worth. For example, thirty-eight percent of students who have graduated college in the past decade strongly agree that their higher education was worth the cost, according to results of 30,000 alumni polled by Gallup-Purdue Index. This analyzes both sides to the topic by describing the underemployment as well as unemployment in the workforce today. In short, the author takes the stance that a college bachelor's degree is almost required when entering a career, because the competition for jobs will only get greater (Selingo). He also analyzes the perception that the majority of Americans have on going right into college after high school, graduating with a degree, and then realizing the value of their education was not worth it financially. Selingo demonstrates his intelligence through recent surveys and common repeated patterns of how higher education should be viewed in America, and reflects on its impact within society. This is a vital source because it gives numerical data and statistics to create credibility for my position. The scholarly article I used for this issue was written by Penelope Wang on the idea that attending college in the United States is worth it in order to gain an advantage in the workforce. She most commonly uses evidence through facts and statistics stating that the more students a college enrolls directly affects tuition costs. Top public schools with large student bodies naturally will cost more to attend because it is now considered as an experience (Top professors, nice dorms, great food). Wang has a good sense of credibility as a senior writer for CNN who wrote this article as a response to President Barack Obama's 2008 speech to make college more affordable (Wang). 

However, to every argument there is an opposition. For decades "The American Dream" has been presented as a national ethos in which equal opportunity for prosperity and success may be achieved through hard work and dedication. An article published in Forbes Magazine offers five alternatives Americans can seek instead of pursing the college route. Written by Robert Farrington, this article focuses on avoiding student loan debt, job security, and promotional opportunities that allow high school graduates to make an impact immediately. Although the salary gap may be huge, these alternatives still provide ways to live a proud life without attending college.  The five alternatives mentioned in this article are vocational school, enlisting in the military, volunteer work, entry level jobs, and entrepreneurship (Farrington). This shows a great sense of accuracy as it was only written two years ago. Each alternative mentioned in this article is still a great choice today. Prime example, my older brother joined the military reserves and is now able to attend college at little to no cost for his services. This also opened my eyes to the actual other pathways Americans can take besides college and still earn respectable salaries. 

Jennifer Barrett, a published writer for CNBC says that in some cases "we can't escape the harsh realities of college debt, but states that attending and graduating creates more opportunities for benefits later in life". She argues that the mindset most students have is that majors have a huge impact on salaries and employment which makes the cost of college a little more bearable to say the least. This source puts in perspective that most of American's situation when it comes to attending college is different, but all students share similar goals in terms of obtaining of a degree (Barrett). Students often times attend graduate school as well which requires another four years of schooling and almost double the tuition costs of an undergraduate program. Douglas Belkin, a journalist for Wall Street, had an interesting article solely because he chose to use the point of view of an actual college student; Belkin makes the points that today's college students may feel cheated or at a disadvantage because college tuition has increased 100% over the last twenty-five years. This goes to show that American society and economics play a huge role in this discussion and education in general (Belkin). Although their enrollment percentages are drastically lower than America's, European countries and their democratic fueled governments are able to offer college education for little to no costs. The majority of fees at institutions for higher education overseas go to registration or just room and board. The demand for a college education in the United States has created such a contagious stigma that schools can practically charge students what they want to and still gain support from the public. 

Greg Gottesman is a Managing Director of Madrona Venture Group, a leading venture capital firm located in Seattle, who places his emphasis on student loan debt and its tremendous impact on college graduates for the rest of their lives. Gottesman examines the general trends of students struggling with loan debt and life challenges immediately after leaving college. It is not out of the norm for recent college graduates to struggle finding a job immediately on top of worrying how they are going to pay back hundreds of thousands dollars in loans. Jeff Kearns a reporter for Bloomberg uses his article to say that college is worth the money for pretty much everyone, simply by the fact that the long run benefits are in higher favor. He states that in American society "having just a high school diploma will not be good enough to be competitive in the work force, making college degrees a resource everyone should have". Kearns possesses identical thoughts as me in terms that every American should receive some form of higher education after high school (Kearns). President Obama has also worked diligently to enforce programs like No Child Left Behind to push young Americans into making college a reality. Laura Shin, a writer for the New York Times, dissects the gradual increase of total student loan debt and per-student debt as graduates continue to seek higher education. Shin's research proves her credibility that in almost every category relatable to this issue, the results are only getting worse and worse as students view college as a necessity to have a successful career. This depicts that there is no clear comparison of past years to now to show that having a college education does not exactly ensure job security (Shin). 

Education has been a part of American society for hundreds of years, and still today there is no perfect solution to make it more assessable and affordable to everyone. As a college student, the ideal of obtaining a higher education interests me especially because I am constantly contemplating if the financial burden of attending college will one day return the favor with job security, high salaries, and minimal student loan debt. I agree with the majority of the articles I used as research which share the central theme that attending college has its pros and cons as with almost all controversial topics, but in the long run it is be safe to say getting a college degree is ideal for most Americans. One of my articles take the position that college students today are already set at a disadvantage just based on the status of the government and time period. On average, today's annual cost of college has increased 100% compared to twenty-five years ago. This portrays that America's emphasis for the demand of higher education has increased as well. Another article shared a common viewpoint as well by saying that the benefits received throughout life are in favor of students that graduate with degrees. For example instance, most careers offer bonuses for more qualified employees. Health care, salary raises, and promotions are all long term benefits of having a college education. I view this argument as worthy of my time, because in today's society it is not always about who was the smartest in school or who had that 4.0 grade point average, but who is the most influential in society and still able to make it a lucrative investment no matter what it is. Students are often times brain washed that college is the only option after high school. For most it is, but I believe everyone has a purpose in life and whether that involves going to college or not is completely up to the individual. Financially, college is not for everyone, but furthering your knowledge and attending is going to pay off fifteen years down the line.

 Personally, success for the majority of Americans is earning a college degree, and making an honest living doing what you love to provide for yourself and your loved ones. After all if you attend college, graduate with loads of student debt, pursue a career, and end up unhappy, was it actually worth it? A college education is worth it simply because students with at least a bachelor's degree are better off in pretty much every category (interpersonal skills, salaries, health, etc.) than those without. Having the title of college graduate does not guarantee me a happy, comfortable life, but hopefully fulfills the standards set by my parents, teachers, and counselors.

