College education, or not? (skills, degrees, costs, high school)

[travelmate38]

A specified career and perfecting it through hands on education, learn and earn is the best way to go. I realize not all fields will allow for this, but many do.

Keep these figures in mind:

81% of adult Americans do not have a college degree.

77% of college grads say their first post college job, utilized little, to none of their education.

For the average BA, you will spend the first 3 years worth of your total salary to pay back the costs.

68% of college grads end up in another career then their original degree was for.

55% of all degree programs offered by major universities today, are for careers in industries that are, or expected to shrink drastically over the next decade!

The American dream is still to run your own show. IE. own your own business. In most cases, no degree is needed to accomplish this.

[SmerkyGrl]

Boy, I've come across several posts by you now and you sure love to spurt your statistics (without backup sources) don't you? College degrees are not often utilized but it is the gateway to opportunities. Try telling someone who lives in an urban area like DC that they don't need a college degree to find a job that is not in construction/housekeeping/manual labor---they'll either slap you silly or laugh you out of the room.

As for running your own business--while no college degree is NEEDED, I know I feel a lot safer knowing that if my business flops, I still have my degree to fall back on to get a decent-paying job.

kthx! :P

[TouchOfWhimsy]

I don't know if the statistics are true or not, but I agree with the intent of the original post. Many people do not need a college degree. Many people do, of course, depending on what field they're going into, but a while bunch of people running around with degrees in Liberal Arts or History, unless they're somehow actually utilizing these degrees, just represent a whole lotta wasted money. I will encourage my own children to pursue their dreams, but I will not encourage getting a degree just for the sake of having it.

[Nelly Nomad]

Originally Posted by travelmate38

A specified career and perfecting it through hands on education, learn and earn is the best way to go.

The best way to go... is that a fact? Based on what? Or is that merely your opinion (to which you are, of course, entitled). While I agree that not everyone will benefit from a traditional college education, I do not agree that your way, or ANY way is the "best way to go".

Regarding your follow-up statistics, as another poster has suggested, perhaps your argument would carry a bit more weight if you'd cited some sources. Right now, no one knows if you just made them up.

Personally, I think everyone can benefit from continuing their education after high school, be it through the traditional college route or some other method. College is not for everyone. And you're right (I think this is the point you were attempting to make): a college degree is no guarantee of a good-paying job, or even of ANY job at all.

However, in my opinion, earning a college degree (or even just attending some college classes but not graduating) will not hurt most people. There are exceptions, of course. While I would never browbeat anyone into going to college (not even my own son), I doubt I would ever attempt to discourage anyone from attending college.

In any event, college is not necessarily "the best way to go". It is one way to go and one that many people pick and benefit from. However there are many alternatives. The "best way" is based on the individual and his/her needs, goals and finances.

[hnsq]

If you are looking for job training, you might not need a traditional four year college. The purpose of a liberal arts college is education of an individual as a whole, not to just prepare you for industry. I got my degree in Computer Information Systems, and I went to a liberal arts school because I wanted to learn a little about philosophy, art, politics, etc. while I had the chance. If you don't care about a fully rounded education and are looking for purely practical job training, I think a tech. or business school would be more the way to go.

As someone who just finished college though, I would say that even if you can pick up the skills somewhere else, college teaches you the way you should think about your subject. The most important thing I learned from my computer classes was critical and logical thinking. The actual programming languages I learned (in my mind) don't matter nearly as much.

[f_m]

If you work at places with standardized pay scales, then you get paid more based on education (i.e. government jobs).

Here's a graph from State Farm Insurance (data based on U.S. Census Bureau)
College increases earning potential

It's true that people who learn while on the job can do well, but only if they are really serious about moving up in their career. Very self-motivated people can be successful. The average person that starts, say a manufacturing job, is not likely to make large improvements.

[suzie02]

My first job out of college paid 53K and a 5K sign on bonus . I am happy I went to college .

[coosjoaquin]

I think the easier question for me to answer is

"am I more likely to earn more money with a college degree?"

followed up by

"Am I more likely to get a job doing what I love with a college degree?"


Plus I start Uni in september and I'm very confident that the next 4 years are gonna be sweet!

[Prinny]

Originally Posted by beanandpumpkin

I don't know if the statistics are true or not, but I agree with the intent of the original post. Many people do not need a college degree. Many people do, of course, depending on what field they're going into, but a while bunch of people running around with degrees in Liberal Arts or History, unless they're somehow actually utilizing these degrees, just represent a whole lotta wasted money. I will encourage my own children to pursue their dreams, but I will not encourage getting a degree just for the sake of having it.

You may not "need" a degree if you want a job, if you want a career you "need" that degree. Some people just don't want or need that degree. I don't know many but if you just want to work that is fine too!

If you want to be in a specialized field. Teacher, lawyer, Nursing, HR, business mgmnt, people need to go to school.

Call me wrong, I brainwashed my son since birth, college was just a normal part of life and he went on to college and graduated. Education is never a waste.

As far as your stas. I don't know many who desire to won that almighty business. I never had the desire, but had I, the math in college certainly will help me, so will the marketing electives I took, as will the courses I took w/ others that help w/ my communication skills in relating to people from all different backgrounds.

Education is books and then some. Time management, financial managment, people skills, social skills, economics in your own life. It's very deep into the core of who you are and teaches endurance!

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by beanandpumpkin

I don't know if the statistics are true or not, but I agree with the intent of the original post. Many people do not need a college degree. Many people do, of course, depending on what field they're going into, but a while bunch of people running around with degrees in Liberal Arts or History, unless they're somehow actually utilizing these degrees, just represent a whole lotta wasted money. I will encourage my own children to pursue their dreams, but I will not encourage getting a degree just for the sake of having it.

A degree in history is not wasted if it gets your foot in the door in a field or job where a degree, regardless of what it's in, is needed.

The degree shows an employer that the holder has certain skills---the ability to think, write and organize material. It also shows the holder has a certain work ethic and amount of self-disipline.

The improvement in a person's knowledge and outlook on life gained by a proper liberal arts education is well worth the money spent, to some people anyway.