The Value of a Bachelor’s Degree
There is a never-ending argument happening in the United States. We ask ourselves, Is a bachelor’s degree worth it? A couple of decades ago, a college degree guaranteed a decent-paying job. Yet as the price of college goes up and salaries remain stagnant, people can’t help but wonder. Should we even go to college?
Full disclosure, I have a bachelor’s degree. I graduated with a business administration degree and a marketing concentration. Higher education wasn’t something I ever questioned. Like many people, I grew up in a family where education was valued. So much so, that I never considered not going to college. Outside of community college or trade school, there aren’t a lot of pathways for high school students. Like a lot of people, I didn’t see many alternatives.
At the time I felt apprehensive about college. And although it took me a while to take the next steps to apply to college, I didn’t have any other options at that point. In a way, the whole process is weird to me now. The choices I made at 17 are going to impact me for the rest of my life. I feel like this one aspect alone is so crazy when you think about it. What does the average 17-18 year old know about the world? Or the impact their education or lack of education will influence their life.
Right now, I don’t regret my decision. My student loans are around the average amount owed per college student. I went to a public university which reduced my expenses (even though I was eying a private school at the time). I know a lot of people say college isn’t worth the time or the money, but on some level, I have to push back on that.
In most professional settings, they expect me to at least have a degree. There are a lot of major companies and organizations that won’t consider a majority of people if they don’t have some type of higher education. The system is deeply flawed and stereotypes are formed based on that system. It’s easy to say “College isn’t worth it” yet many of these people hire employees with traditional backgrounds like bachelor’s, master’s, and even doctorates in different fields.
For many of us, it’s a “wrong if you go, wrong if you don’t go” situation. While companies expect higher education, they have also begun to expect real-life experience. For this reason, internships have become increasingly competitive (many unpaid). College students know they need to start networking within their industry and gaining experience in their field. But, even after this, it may not be enough. Companies expect more and the competition for entry-level jobs seem to be more crowded than ever.
They ask if we can afford to go to college and I wonder if we can afford to not go to college. We all know people who are successful without any higher education. It’s realistic to learn and perfect skills outside of the classroom. But there is a bias that exists in a lot of industries. Some care about where you went to college or even what your GPA was regardless of your talent. The judgment many people have about higher education is still there. I hope in the future this is something people stop doing, but until then, we should be aware of how we are perceived and how those perceptions can impact our opportunities.
My answer: College still has it’s value. However, we have to think about what type of degree you pursue, your debt compared to your potential earnings, which program you were a part of, your networking, and the economy. We don’t live in a world where each college grad is going to automatically get a good job. I know people who don’t think they will ever be able to pay off their student loan debt, people who immediately landed the job of their dreams, and people who feel like they wasted four (or more) years in an institution. The expectation of higher education is still there, but there are many costs. When we talk about college, we should consider the time investment, the networking, and the status. Choosing to go to college can change our lives in positive and negative ways. I think there are several changes universities and colleges can make, starting with lowering the price of tuition. As we continue to into the modern world, we should adjust higher education to fit the needs of future generations.
