Arguing Our Value

By  Jennifer Brannock Cox

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Jill (not her real name) has been a student in two of my classes and has a 4.0 grade point average. She writes for the campus newspaper, serves on the executive board of our university’s professional journalists organization and works a full-time job. With her exemplary writing and class attendance, she is easily one of the shining stars of our department.

She also comes to me at least once a semester for a cathartic cry.

Jill’s world comes crashing down on her often. Sometimes the pressure and time constraints get to her. Other times, there is an issue at home or with roommates.

But the underlying cause of her stress is an issue she tries to ignore in everything she does: Her parents think college is a waste of time.

Jill’s issues at home and all the time constraints that put pressure on her academics and her social life stem from the fact that she pays her own way through school, with only a small amount of help from student loans and scholarships.

Sometimes she will ask me or whichever professor or adviser she is confiding in that day the question that many of us are scared to ask ourselves: Is it worth it?

There are tons of self-made success stories of billionaires abandoning their college educations in the pursuit of grander things, a la Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg. Their stories float around social media, distributed via Facebook memes, chain-letter emails, and Wikipedia entries, and they provide fodder for parents and teenagers who would rather not spend money on or fund four-plus years in a classroom when they could be out making a living and getting started with their occupations now.

And why wouldn’t they?

Jill’s story is like those of so many of my other students who work themselves into exhaustion just to be here in school. For me, their circumstances raise two important questions: As a professor and club adviser, how can I work around these students’ extenuating circumstances in a way that is sympathetic yet firm, and how can I convince these students that college is worth their while?

I often have students come in with late assignments or club members who have fallen short on fulfilling their obligations to the group. They need more time or more help or they just drop the class or club completely. The most common excuse: I had to work.

My gut reaction is to be sympathetic to these students. I know how difficult it is to maintain a job, or in some cases many jobs, to support oneself in school --  I was in the same boat when I was there. At work, students have little control over their schedules or the demands put upon them. The bottom line is simple: You don’t show up, you don’t get paid and you get fired.

But in their academic lives, students become their own boss for the first time in their lives. Suddenly, there is no parent or boss or teacher breathing down their neck, leaning on them to go to class, do their homework, or attend that meeting.

When an exhausted, newly autonomous 18-22-year-old has to make the choice between work and school commitments, the scale is hardly balanced. On one end, there is the job they cannot afford to lose, and on the other, there is the education or organization that looks good on the resume, but produces few immediate tangible effects. After coming home late at night following a full day of work and classes and meetings, that paper due tomorrow might just have to wait.

The party line for most professors when dealing with this situation is this: School needs to be each student’s top priority. But is that really always fair to assume?

The challenge becomes weeding out which students are in Jill’s position from the barrage of excuses from those who are just being lazy. Often times, the difference is obvious. Students like Jill, who genuinely want to be here and are working hard for the privilege, rarely offer excuses.

Sure, I’m aware of Jill’s circumstances and the circumstances of others in her position, but she has never once failed to take responsibility for any lapses in work or effort. These students are here because they recognize the value of education, and they treat it with the same seriousness they do their jobs.

Still, things come up, and I am faced with a choice, too. Do I punish these students with poor grades or boot them from the organization they have let slip to the back burner, or do I find some way to keep them above water and feeling involved?

The easy choice, of course, would be to tell students like Jill that I can’t make exceptions for them because then I would have to make exceptions for everybody. Having to rearrange my schedule, my rules, and my expectations puts more pressure on me, and in this job, who needs it?

But I didn’t become a teacher so that I could be a taskmaster or a tough boss. It’s students like these that need and want our guidance the most, so I try my best to give it to them.

First, I try to work with the student, finding out if there are alternative times or locations to meet or making myself more accessible in case there is something I can do to help him or her understand the assignment better and complete it on time.

When other students complain or can’t understand accommodations given in unique circumstances, I use it as a teachable moment, reminding them that they will come across situations in the working world that they don’t understand, and everyone’s circumstances are not identical to their own. Sometimes as a manager, I say, you have to be flexible and do what is best for each team member to make the operation run smoothly.

Yet, when dealing with students like Jill, I find such accommodations are rarely necessary. Most of the time, all she needs is a little guidance, an open ear, and someone with authority to tell her she made the right decision.

Which brings me to my next big question: How can I convince students like these that college is worth their while?

Tuition costs are skyrocketing throughout the country, and more students are accruing eye-popping amounts of student loan debt each year, which means they will graduate and start their careers in a financial ditch. Programs have been cut to save money, and class caps at many universities have risen to generate more revenue from more students. Many colleges with an eye on the bottom line have increased the number of online classes they offer, in hopes of reaching more students in more distant locales.

There is an easy answer to give students who question the value of a college degree: Most career-track jobs nowadays require them. A high school graduate is not likely to compete with a college graduate for a teaching job or a marketing job. But there are still plenty of vocational careers and office jobs with decent salaries and potential for upward growth to give pause to students and parents who are not sold on the idea of college.

If Jill’s parents were sitting in front of you, challenging you to defend their daughter’s decision to put herself through college rather than going straight into the work force, what would you say?

When I graduated from college with my degree in journalism, I went to work in a small newsroom feeling prepared. I felt poised, brave, and ready to take on whatever challenges were presented to me.

I was a fool.

My journalism degree did not prepare me for every eventuality I would come across in my reporting career. What it did is give me the basic skills and knowledge I needed to secure the job and the ability to learn something new every day. I owe my success to brilliant professors who gave me the footing I needed to succeed and taught me to absorb education not just in the classroom but also throughout my life.

A fool without my background would have taken one look at her new job and run. This fool stayed, knowing I had the tools I needed to learn and grow. And I never looked back.

The opportunities for growth that came my way stemmed largely from professors who knew my abilities and pushed me to flourish. Yes, I learned the ins and outs of writing news stories while sitting in a classroom, but the real takeaway was the belief that I had the ability to fly above a Category 5 hurricane, knock on accused murderers’ doors, and grill disgraced politicians – all of which I did as a young reporter. When it got scary or it felt like too much, I remembered the lessons I learned at my alma mater, and, occasionally, I even contacted my professors for help, and I managed to carry on.

While in college, I was given the fantastic opportunity to fail. I botched articles, mixed up facts, missed deadlines, and, more than likely, offended sources more than once. Had I done any one of those things in my professional career, I likely would have been looking for another job. As it turns out, my college education was like juggling knives while wearing body armor, allowing me to fail without total destruction.

Furthermore, I never would have been a reporter had I not had the opportunity to dip my toe in other waters. I began college as an archaeology major. (Upon realizing archaeology is a science, I quickly turned and ran.)

I toiled with notions of becoming a theater worker, a “communication specialist” (whatever that is), and a public relations practitioner all before one wonderful journalism professor noted my work and talked some sense into me. Had it not been for college, I might still be looking for my passion and spending and losing a lot of money in the process.

As Jill walked across the stage at graduation last spring, I saw a confident, hardworking young women eager to begin her professional life and sure to be a success. I only hope her parents saw it, too.

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Sample Essay: Is College Worth It?, with Outline

Published by gudwriter on November 23, 2017 November 23, 2017

Is College Worth It Example Essay

Is college worth it? Here is a sample essay that discusses whether college education is worth it in the long run or it’s just a waste of money and time.

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Essay Outline on Whether College is Worth it

Introduction.

Thesis: While there are arguments that college education is not worth it in the current society, this paper contends that college education is indeed worth it irrespective of the prevalent economic conditions.

Paragraph 1:

College education is worth acquiring because those with a college degree earn substantially higher as compared to their counterparts who have secondary school education.

  • The earning gap between the two groups only continues to become wider even as the economy transforms.
  • “High school graduates earn about 62% of what those with four-year degrees earn, according to a Pew Research Center study.”

Paragraph 2:

College education also adds on to the market value of college graduates making them more valuable than non-college graduates.

  • College degree is highly valued by the job market of today and prospective employers view it as the minimum educational requirement for employment.
  • In comparison to high school graduates, college graduates would easily secure job opportunities.

  Paragraph 3:

It is also worth pursuing college education because with it, one gets into a better position to acquire and enjoy the benefits of health insurance and develop their pension plans.

  • “In 2011, the percentage of full-time workers offered pension plans by their employers who chose to participate ranged from 77% for those without a high school diploma to 94% for those with an advanced degree.”
  • Higher levels of educational attainment put one in a better place to have a health insurance cover that is provided by their employer.

Paragraph 4:

College education further helps students in multiple other ways than just monetary returns.

  • According to a survey, 74% of students said they had achieved invaluable intellectual growth by attending college while 69% believed college had helped them attain higher personal maturity levels.
  • Thus, apart from employment, college makes students become better prepared to face life and the challenges that come with it.

Paragraph 5:

One argument against college education is that it plunges students into huge debt burdens.

  • The argument holds that the $400 average monthly wage that fresh college graduates get is not enough for servicing their student loans.
  • This argument ignores the fact that as they continue to work, college graduates develop professionally and continue earning more than their starting salary.

Paragraph 6:

Opponents of college education also front an argument that the market value of students does not benefit from college education.

  • Apparently, this explains why people with college education may find themselves in odd jobs such as being hotel attendants.
  • This argument is off the mark because college education indeed increases the market value of students and that is why they earn more than high school graduates.  

College education is worth it given the many benefits it sires. One should pursue college education at all costs even if it means running into debts. Deliberately failing to acquire college education is akin to deliberately settling for less in life. For an in-depth analysis of Candide, please read our Candide analysis essay.

Is College Worth it Example Essay

College education is one area that many people in the United States of America have invested and continue to invest in. It is widely believed that with college education, one has a better chance at life in terms of professional and personal development. College education has long been seen as a good avenue through which one may access and effectively exploit economic opportunities both domestically and internationally. However, the cost of acquiring college education has risen in the recent past and continues to rise even at present. A debate has thus ensued as to whether college education is really worth its cost in the prevailing economic situations. While there are arguments that college education is not worth it in the current society, this paper contends that college education is indeed worth it irrespective of the prevalent economic conditions. In college that’s where you may find worthy and important friendship , it’s where you mold relationship since you have a better understanding of yourself.

College education is worth acquiring because those with a college degree earn substantially higher as compared to their counterparts who have secondary school education. The earning gap between the two groups only continues to become wider even as the economy transforms. As pointed out by Weston (2015), “High school graduates earn about 62% of what those with four-year degrees earn, according to a Pew Research Center study.” In the year 1979, those with high school education used to earn 77% of what college graduates earned; a proof that the earning gap is indeed increasing (Weston, 2015). It would thus not be advisable to forego college education and settle for high school education because in effect, that means settling for lower earnings. Under normal circumstances, an investment that attracts higher returns on investment is worth considering or pursuing and so is college education.

College education also adds on to the market value of college graduates making them more valuable than non-college graduates. As clearly stated by Selingo (2015), college degree is highly valued by the job market of today and prospective employers view it as the minimum educational requirement for employment. This then implies that in comparison to high school graduates, college graduates would easily secure job opportunities. With college education, one thus opens more economic opportunities for themselves. This is why Weston (2015) advises that in the current economy, everybody should “consider some post-secondary training if they do not want to fall down the economic ladder.” Irrespective of the program one undertakes in college, they would enhance their market value by amassing as much professional experience as possible and thereby command better earnings.

It is also worth pursuing college education because with it, one gets into a better position to acquire and enjoy the benefits of health insurance and develop their pension plans. “In 2011, the percentage of full-time workers offered pension plans by their employers who chose to participate ranged from 77% for those without a high school diploma to 94% for those with an advanced degree” (Baum, Ma & Payea, 2013). It is further noted by Baum, Ma & Payea (2013) that higher levels of educational attainment put one in a better place to have a health insurance cover that is provided by their employer. With a health insurance, one can be sure of medical attention whenever they need it while with pension plans, one is sure to live a dignified life after they retire. Therefore, one would suffer less financial burden if they have these two provisions, both before and after retirement. As is evident here, the benefits would far outweigh the cost at which college education is acquired.

College education further helps students in multiple other ways than just monetary returns. According to a survey, 74% of students said they had achieved invaluable intellectual growth by attending college while 69% believed college had helped them attain higher personal maturity levels (“Is College Worth It?,” 2011). Thus, apart from employment, college makes students become better prepared to face life and the challenges that come with it. A more intellectually strengthened person is likely to approach life with an open mind which would enable them develop well-thought solutions to various life problems. Similarly, a high level of personal maturity helps one in developing meaningful relationships both at personal and professional levels. Thus, college education generally prepares a person for better life. It would be less meaningful to earn a lot of money and spend it unwisely.

One argument against college education is that it plunges students into huge debt burdens. Selingo (2015) argues that the $400 average monthly wage that fresh college graduates get is not enough for servicing their student loans. The scholar contends that with such little earnings, college graduates may end up repaying their loans for long. Supporters of this opinion hold that being in debt overshadows the value the students might have got from the education given that it is costly to acquire. However, this argument ignores the fact that as they continue to work, college graduates develop professionally and continue earning more than their starting salaries.

Opponents of college education also front an argument that the market value of students does not benefit from college education. Apparently, this explains why people with college education may find themselves in odd jobs such as being hotel attendants. According to Selingo (2015) ,““Looking at the actual return on the costs of attending college, careful analyses suggest that the payoff from many college programs — as much as one in four — is actually negative”. However, this argument is off the mark because as revealed herein, college education increases the market value of students and that is why they earn more than high school graduates.

College education is worth it given the many benefits it sires. One should pursue college education at all costs even if it means running into debts. It would be satisfying to service the loan knowing very well that afterwards, one would continue reaping the benefits of the education. Increased market value, higher earnings, health insurance cover, and retirement plans all make college education a necessity. Deliberately failing to acquire college education is thus akin to deliberately settling for less in life.

Baum, S., Ma, J., & Payea, K. (2013). “ Education pays 2013: the benefits of higher education for individuals and society” . The College Board. Retrieved from https://trends.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/education-pays-2013-full-report.pdf

Is College Worth It?. In Pew Research Center . Retrieved July 9, 2020 from https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2011/05/15/is-college-worth-it/

Selingo, J. (2015). “ Is college worth the cost? Many recent graduates don’t think so”. Washington Post . Retrieved 21 November 2017, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/09/30/is-college-worth-the-cost-many-recent-graduates-dont-think-so/?utm_term=.d1c7eef76720

Weston, L. (2015). “ Why college is still worth it even though it costs too much” . Time . Retrieved 21 November 2017, from http://time.com/money/4061150/college-degree-worth-it/

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Is College Worth The Cost essay

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Is College Worth It?

Marisol Cuellar Mejia , Cesar Alesi Perez , Vicki Hsieh , and Hans Johnson

Supported with funding from the California Endowment

photo - Day of Graduation at University

Table of Contents

  • Introduction

College is a good investment

College graduates get higher-quality jobs, college graduates fare better during recessions, still, college is more expensive than ever, but most students don’t pay the sticker price, public college students have less debt, public and nonprofit colleges are a better financial bet, finishing a degree is important, majors matter for future earnings, wage inequities persist, society benefits from higher education, more students need a chance at college, additional figure notes, we explore whether the benefits of a college degree outweigh the costs..

Although most California parents want their children to graduate from college with at least a bachelor’s degree, roughly three-quarters worry about being able to afford a college education . Sticker shock and an understandable reluctance to take on debt lead many students and parents alike to wonder if college will actually yield higher earnings, better jobs, and a brighter future down the road.

photo - Mother And Daughter Doing Finances Together At Home

Today’s labor market increasingly rewards highly educated workers: In 1990, a worker with a bachelor’s degree earned 39 percent more than one whose highest level of education was a high school diploma. By 2021, the difference had grown to 62 percent (and closer to 90% for workers with graduate degrees).

Currently, California workers with a bachelor’s degree earn a median annual wage of $81,000. In contrast, only 6 percent of workers with less than a high school diploma earn that much (12% of those with at most a high school diploma). Over time, the higher incomes of college graduates accumulate into much higher levels of wealth , with graduates having more than three times as much wealth as households with less-educated adults.

figure fallback image - A college degree pays off

Beyond wage gains, the job market favors college graduates in other ways as well. Graduates are more likely to participate in the labor force, less likely to be unemployed, and more likely to have full-time jobs. Among full-time workers, college graduates are more likely to have jobs that offer paid vacation, health insurance, retirement, and flexible work arrangements. These forms of non-wage compensation help provide greater financial stability and security over the long run.

figure fallback image - College graduates have greater success on the job market

College graduates not only earn higher wages and have higher-quality jobs, but they are also better protected during economic downturns. In the past several recessions, less-educated workers have borne the brunt of employment losses. During the worst of the COVID-19 recession, the unemployment rate for those with no college experience was 18 percent, compared to 10 percent for those with a bachelor’s degree.

figure fallback image - Unemployment rates for less-educated adults increased more during the COVID recession

Students who want to reap the benefits of college face rising costs, which have increased between 50 and 100 percent across different types of colleges since 2000. In 2021, a nonprofit private college in California cost an annual average of $68,000 for undergraduates, including tuition, room and board, books, and other fees. Public colleges are far less expensive but prices have still gone up for in-state undergraduates—reaching nearly $35,000 per year at the University of California (UC), $29,000 at California State University (CSU), and $25,000 at the California Community Colleges (CCC).

Housing—not tuition—is the key driver of rising costs at public colleges. For example, among CSU students, housing accounted for 56 percent of the overall cost of attendance in 2021 (tuition accounted for 26%). After adjusting for inflation, public college tuition is actually lower now than it was a decade ago, thanks to increases in state funding.

figure fallback image - Total college costs have grown significantly

Financial aid can reduce costs tremendously, especially for students from low-income families. A CSU student whose family earns less than $30,000 pays $4,700, on average, in annual college costs, compared to over $18,000 for a student whose family income exceeds $110,000. Unfortunately, financial aid is underused: only about half of California high school seniors apply for aid, leaving an estimated $560 million in annual federal grants on the table. A new state policy will require more high school graduates to apply for financial aid, which could improve college access.

figure fallback image - Financial aid makes a big difference for students from low-income families

An estimated 47 percent of California graduates from public and private nonprofit colleges have student debt (lower than the national rate of 62%). Overall, public college students are less likely to take out federal, institutional, or private loans. About three in ten CSU and UC students took out such loans in 2019. In contrast, 45 percent of students at nonprofit private colleges take out loans, and nearly seven in ten students at for-profit colleges do so. Federal loan amounts are also smaller at public colleges.

figure fallback image - Students at public colleges are less likely to take out loans

Students from for-profit colleges struggle the most paying back their loans. Most students at for-profit colleges—disproportionately Black and Latino students —never graduate, and even for those who do wages are lower than for graduates from other colleges. Three years after college, 18 percent of borrowers from for-profit colleges have loans that are delinquent or have defaulted due to lack of repayment, compared with 3 to 6 percent of borrowers at public and nonprofit colleges. These statuses can damage credit scores, leading to higher interest rates and severely limiting access to mortgages and car loans.

figure fallback image - Borrowers from for-profit colleges are the most likely to have loans in default

Students who never finish their degree do not see the same wage bump as degree-holders. This financial loss is compounded for those who took out loans to attend college in the first place. Three years after college, 22 percent of non-graduates have loans that are in default or delinquent, compared to 12 percent of graduates. Earning a degree in a timely manner is also important, as those who take longer than four years to complete their degree face extra schooling costs, run the risk of losing financial aid eligibility, and further delay their entry into the workforce.

figure fallback image - Students who do not graduate are more likely to have loans in default

The wage benefits of a college degree differ considerably across majors. Graduates in computer science and mathematics earn a median wage of $110,000 annually, almost double what graduates in education make ($65,000). There is also a great deal of variation within majors: the top-earning graduates in health make $120,000 annually (75th percentile), twice as much as the lowest-earning graduates in health ($60,000 for the 25th percentile). Nevertheless, even lower-earning college graduates tend to make more than workers whose highest level of education is a high school diploma.

figure fallback image - College graduates' wages vary tremendously across majors

Although workers across gender and racial/ethnic groups see a wage premium for earning a college degree, marked disparities still exist in the labor market. For male workers with a bachelor’s degree, the median annual wage is $92,000, compared with $75,000 for college-educated female workers. Similarly, white workers make more than Black and Latino workers across all levels of educational attainment. Several factors contribute to these gender and racial pay gaps, including labor market discrimination and years of work experience. Further, the underrepresentation of female, Black, and Latino students in the most financially rewarding programs of study, such as computer science and engineering, affects later job prospects, occupations, and earning potential.

figure fallback image - Marked disparities still exist in the labor market

Higher education is a critical driver of economic progress. It is also the key policy lever for improving mobility from one generation to the next, especially for low-income, first-generation, Black, and Latino students. As the state’s economy has evolved, the job market has increasingly demanded more highly educated workers, a trend that is projected to continue into the future.

In addition to having higher earnings and better job benefits, college graduates are more likely to own a home and less likely to be in poverty or need social services. Society as a whole is also better off, thanks to lower unemployment, less demand for public assistance programs, lower incarceration rates , higher tax revenue, and greater civic engagement .

figure fallback image - Higher education is associated with lower poverty and less social safety net assistance

While a college degree does not guarantee financial security, for most students it represents their best chance of achieving economic prosperity. Although the state has made enormous progress, more work is needed to improve student success at key transition points, including high school graduation, college enrollment, transfer, and college completion. If current enrollment and completion rates continue, most California 9th graders will not earn a bachelor’s degree. And at every step along the way, low-income students—who account for more than half of the state’s public K–12 students—are less likely than their higher-income peers to make it to and through college. Unfortunately, a similar story holds true for other underrepresented groups.

figure fallback image - Most California 9th graders will not earn a bachelor's degree

California and its higher education systems have already made tremendous strides in expanding access and improving completion so that more students can enjoy the benefits of a college degree. At the PPIC Higher Education Center , we are tracking the impact of these historic investments and policy changes, working to ensure that they have their intended effects, and advancing evidence-based solutions to further enhance educational opportunities for all California students.

A college degree pays off: Restricted to full-time, year-round workers ages 25–64.

College graduates have greater success on the job market : Restricted to adults ages 25–64. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutional population that is working or actively looking for work. The unemployment rate represents the number of unemployed people as a percentage of the labor force.

College graduates are more likely to have jobs with benefits : Restricted to full-time, year-round workers ages 25–64.

Unemployment rates for less-educated workers increased more during the COVID recession : Restricted to adults ages 25–64.

Total college costs have grown significantly : Data from the 2000–01 to 2021–22 school year. Costs reflect average price of attendance for in-state, full-time, first-time undergraduate students. Estimates are averaged for each sector and weighted by total enrollment among full-time, first-time undergraduates at the institution level in each respective fall term. Housing costs are the typical institution’s estimated cost of living off-campus. California Community College and California State University students are much more likely to live with family, which could greatly reduce living costs. Estimates are inflation-adjusted to reflect 2021 dollars using CPI-U-RS.

Financial aid makes a big difference for students from low-income families : Data from the 2020–21 school year. Net price is the cost of tuition, books, housing, fees, and other associated expenses not covered by grant aid. Estimates reflect average net price of attendance for in-state, full-time, first-time undergraduate students. Estimates are averaged for each sector and weighted by college-level enrollment among students in each income level awarded Title IV federal financial aid in the 2020–21 school year.

Students at public colleges are less likely to take out loans : Sector estimates for loan take-up rates reflect the percent of full-time, first-time undergraduates awarded any loans, including all Title IV subsidized and unsubsidized loans and all institutionally and privately sponsored loans. Estimates for median amount borrowed reflect the median undergraduate federal student loan debt for those who attended California higher education institutions, averaged for each sector and weighted by number of borrowers. The data do not include Parent PLUS loans. Only 2 percent of California Community College students borrow federal student loans, so this institution type was excluded.

Borrowers from for-profit colleges are the most likely to have loans in default : Does not include Parent PLUS or private student loans. See Starr, D. and Jackson, J., 2022, “ Extended Freeze on Student Loan Payments Could Help Many California Borrowers ,” blog post, Public Policy Institute of California.

Students who do not graduate are more likely to have loans in default : Estimates of the share of undergraduate federal student loan borrowers three years into repayment in each loan status by the borrower’s last known enrollment status: completer or non-completer. Graduates finished their academic program and graduated, while non-graduates did not finish. Does not include Parent PLUS or private student loans. See Starr, D., and Jackson, J., 2022, “ Repaying Student Loans a Struggle for Those Who Do Not Graduate ,” blog post, Public Policy Institute of California.

College graduates’ wages vary tremendously across majors : Restricted to full-time, year-round workers ages 25–64. Workers with advanced degrees are excluded.

Marked disparities still exist in the labor market : Restricted to full-time, year-round workers ages 25–64.

Higher education is associated with lower poverty and less social safety net assistance : Restricted to adults ages 25–64, but individuals’ poverty status and social safety net participation are determined based on the status of their family, which may comprise other individuals outside of this age range and with alternate education levels. Social safety net participation rate is the share of adults ages 25–64 in California Poverty Measure units with any resources from CalWORKs/General Assistance, CalFresh, Supplemental Security Income, or federal housing subsidies.

Most California 9th graders will not earn a bachelor’s degree: Educational milestones are based on estimates of high school graduation rates from the California Department of Education (CDE), college-going rates are based on CDE matches with National Student Clearinghouse data (adjusted by PPIC for block rates), transfer rates are based on CCC Chancellor’s Office Student Success Metrics data, and college graduation rates are based on UC, CSU, and IPEDS data. Contact authors for details.

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College and Major Can Matter A Lot for Starting Wages

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Home / Essay Samples / Education / College Tuition / Is College Worth the Cost

Is College Worth the Cost

  • Category: Education , Life
  • Topic: College Tuition , Cost of Education

Pages: 2 (859 words)

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