Your Last Name 1
Student Name
Professor Name
Course
Date
Is College the Best Option?
Nowadays, there are many questions that cause much controversy around them, with
one being the question of whether college experience and degree are necessary. While some
believe that it is a necessary component in every person’s life and offers many monetary
benefits, others argue that in modern times, it is experience and skills that matter.
Nevertheless, I believe that the benefits of a college degree, such as higher earnings potential,
expanded career opportunities, and personal and professional development, outweigh the
costs for me.
Higher Earning Potential
The first point why I think college is the best option is that a degree will provide me
with a higher earnings potential. In the employment market, college graduates often
command a significant wage premium. A recent article by well-researched scholar Doug
Webber stated that "the typical college graduate will earn roughly $900,000 more than the
typical high school graduate over their working life" and that the monetary benefits of
graduating from a college of four years surpass the associated expenses for the average
student (Newton). Moreover, in the past few years, an average employee with only a high
school diploma made $45,000, while the typical undergraduate with only a bachelor's degree
made almost $78,000 (Abel and Deitz). In general, the college pay premium rose in the 1980s
and 1990s, going from less than $20,000 to around $30,000, and then after 2000, it settled
within a very small range of $30,000 to $35,000 (Abel and Deitz). As a result, one can see
that candidates with a degree will earn more for their qualifications.
, Your Last Name 2
From personal experience, I can argue that the statement about a degree’s possibility
to boost the earnings potential of a person is true by providing an example of my parents. My
mother and father both have a college degree, and growing up, my siblings and I never
struggled financially. Our parents were able to provide us with a comfortable upbringing.
Additionally, they gave us various opportunities to access quality education. Therefore, the
cost of education for me is outweighed by the opportunities I will have.
Expanded Career Opportunities
Furthermore, I think that a college degree will allow me to have expanded career
opportunities. Some might believe that there is still debate about whether or not college
graduates are more employable. If they had not, one might anticipate that a sizable portion of
recent college graduates would have been unemployed. However, as of November 2018, the
unemployment rate for this demographic was a historically low 2.2% (Newton). It was also
quite good—3.5%—for individuals without a college degree but only with a high school
certificate (Newton). Without a doubt, having a college degree increases one's chances of
finding employment. According to a 2017 Harvard Business School analysis, a number of
companies acknowledge that they are now charging a substantial bonus when they hire
employees with college degrees (Newton). Clearly, corporations believe that a college degree
is valuable and should be paid for.
Delving deeper into employers’ perspectives, a bachelor's degree will help me
demonstrate academic aptitude and perseverance. It makes more sense for businesses to
demand a bachelor's degree as more people enroll in college (Murray). Employers who
demanded a bachelor's degree would have been blocking themselves from the majority of
talent when only a small fraction of people obtained college degrees (Murray). In this
situation, a college degree serves as an indicator of skills and abilities.
In my social circle, there is one individual whose journey is a testament to the
