
Has it occurred to you that a college degree is no longer an option but a necessity on the pathway of success? In other words, getting a degree is becoming the new high school diploma: the minimum credential required to get even the most basic, entry-level job. The New Yorker, admits that getting a college degree is the key to human betterment and prosperity and is no longer a pathway to opportunity for just a talented few, but is a prerequisite for the growing jobs in the new economy. Advancement in technological process has dramatically increased the demand for skilled workers creating concepts such as the "human capital theory" and the "screening model." The human capital theory of education is the notion that institutions teach their students specific, marketable skills, which can be used later in their search for careers, while the screening model is the technique that employers use that separate college graduates from non-college graduates based on levels of cognitive competence and the ability to carry out assigned tasks and work in a group setting (Cassidy, John). In the debate of whether a college degree is beneficial, both sides' present valid arguments. Those believing college to be beneficial emphasize the gain of higher employment rates, bigger salaries, and more work benefits, while those opposing it states that it leads to debt from college loans.  By analyzing both sides of this controversial argument smarter economic decisions can be made to avoid the negative aspects often brought up with college educations. College is worth the cost if done reasonably along with being educated financially.

People who argue that college is worth it focus on the advantages of higher incomes and enhanced social mobility and diversity. They contend that college graduates have higher employment rates, bigger salaries, and more work benefits than high school graduates. The New Yorker supports the notion of college graduates earning more money, on average, than people who don't have a degree coining this concept as the 'college wage premium" (Cassidy, John). An article entitled "Why College is Still Worth It Even Though It Costs So Much" written by Time states that the vast majority of college graduates polled, approximately 30,000 post graduates, recently say their education was worth the cost. They admit that not everyone necessarily needs a four year degree, but that the incomes and economic opportunities for high school only graduates have collapsed in addition to the fact that they only make 80% of what those with four year degrees earn. According to the author of this article, although the likelihood that graduates may obtain debt is high, their earnings rise and their debts get paid off in the long run (Weston, Liz). Overall, they emphasize the fact that everyone should consider some sort of post-secondary training if they do not want to fall down the "economic ladder" (Weston, Liz). 

As previously stated, college graduates make more money and have greater employment opportunities. The Washington Post conducted research in its article entitled, "Want Proof College Is Worth It? Look at This List of the Highest-paying Majors" that shows that although for almost every major, lifetime earnings are higher for college graduates, some majors pay a lot better than others. In other words, people in the same major do not all make the same amounts of money. Wages vary quite a bit across major, but more widely within majors (Guo, Jeff).

In addition to being better off financially, it has also been proven that college graduates have better interpersonal skills, live longer, have healthier children. Additional benefits include employment enjoyment, healthy lifestyles, social mobility, and personal development. Workers with bachelor's degrees or higher report to have higher jobs satisfaction rates, exercise more, and smoke less (Rasmussen College). Along with these personal achievements college graduates have proven their ability to achieve a major milestone and are better exposed to diversity which contributes to gaining networking values that a non-college graduate would struggle to gain (College Education - ProCon.org). They increase their chances of moving up the socioeconomic ladder, not to mention the higher rates of improving independence and confidence, networking, and communication and budgeting skills. As a whole, college has a high return as an investment and those that choose to invest in it are more productive members of society.

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. In a recent Ted Talk Adam Carroll points out that there has been a 500% increase in student loans in the past ten years accounted for by the recent statistic stating that during 2004 in America there was two hundred billion dollars in student loan and in the year 2014 the 1.2 trillion dollar mark has been crossed (Carroll, Adam). Seven out of ten graduating students left college last year in debt making student debt in the United States bigger than tax from credit card falling second house mortgages (Oliver, John). The Washington Post recently published an article entitled "Is College Worth the Cost? Many Recent Graduates Don't Think So." It opens with a reality check stating that upon graduating, students will receive their first payment notices for their student loans only to begin the decades of monthly payments to settle their college debt (Selingo, Jeffrey J.).   Student loan debt cripples college graduates, adds to the burden of the financial crisis, and damages the economy of students who fail to graduate. Even with a degree many graduates are underemployed or working jobs that do not require college degrees.  During 2014, nearly a million college students from colleges and universities were unemployed or underemployed (Carroll, Adam).  

The technological revolution that has matured during our day and age has slowed the demand for college-educated workers leaving those with degrees to take up jobs that they are over qualified for. Using the exact same poll previous used by Time, The Washington Post puts a twist on the views of the writers at Time focusing on the results showing that only one in three of the students polled strongly agreed that their education was worth the cost. According to their findings, the nation's work force is currently made up of people who are overeducated for the jobs they currently hold. A college degree no longer guarantees the good life it once did, but instead is used to beat out less educated workers for jobs that do not even require a degree to start off with (Selingo, Jeffrey J.). The New York Times released an article in 2014 entitled "Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say." Although its main focus was to support those with college degrees, the author did admit to that fact that most college graduates struggle to find work. With the crisis of student debt, he also noted that some even accept jobs for which they feel overqualified in order to simply make ends meet (Leonhardt, David).The New Yorker's article "College Calculus," supports the previously stated claims acknowledging the fact that as the supply of college grads expands, many are taking jobs that shouldn't require a degree. With the number of people attending and graduating from four-year educational intuitions increasing, the value of a bachelor's degree is depleting. This raises the pressure for more and more parents to feel obligated to send their children to college, aiding in the rise of student debt (Cassidy, John). Although these negative aspects associated with going to college are portrayed as drawbacks, with the proper education and experience with making smart economic decisions, these aspects can be avoided.

Possible resolutions to compromise both sides of the argument would possibly be to provide greater opportunities of online learning or obtain a two year degree at a community college rather than attending a four-year institution.

 Most would agree that online learning will provide a viable low-cost alternative to a live-in college education while still at the same time gaining a degree. It also provides a new realm of convenience and flexibility that a traditional college experience can't provide. Another possibility that would cut down on costs would be to attend a community college. In the same way that an online education cuts down on cost, going to a two year institution provides smaller class sizes that allow students to interact more efficiently with their professors and each other. In addition, if the decision was made to attend a four year college, credits earned are transferable due to agreements made between community colleges and universities.

Lastly, being realistic about yourself financially and the college you choose to attend would aid in solving this issue. College doesn't ensure happiness or success, but it opens up a lot of doors and helps you create opportunities to later be happy and successful. When granted the same opportunities, everyone has the ability to achieve whatever it is he or she sets out to achieve, however, it is clear that some things are more difficult or challenging than others. Making the decision to attend college when you aren't mentally prepared to leads to tens of thousands of dollars wasted either partying and failing classes, or not meeting people, or being in the wrong major. With that being said, one should plan their college experiences based on their personal needs, not on that of others.

The controversy on what there is to gain and lose from going to college is one that is often debated. Those who back having a college degree do so because of the financial and societal pedestal, it provides while those who dispute it do so because of financial reasons, specifically college debt, never the less both views present valid arguments to support their claims. By analyzing both sides of this controversial argument smarter economic decisions can be made to avoid the negative aspects often brought up with college educations, and although tedious college is worth the cost.

