2 How to Choose Your Major
The Value of Earning Your Degree
Many people are reconsidering the merits of a college degree. They are
wondering if the expensive tuition and amount of student loan debt is
worth it in the future. Here are some reasons why earning your degree is
still worthwhile:
1. College graduates usually earn more money during their working lives
than people with only high school diplomas. A 2014 Pew research study
revealed that “millennial college graduates ages 25 to 32 who are working
full time earn more annually—about $17,500 more than employed young
adults holding only a high school diploma.”6 Furthermore, “the U.S. Census
Bureau has reported that those with bachelor’s degrees earn nearly 2 million
dollars, associate’s degrees nearly 1.5 million dollars, and high school diplo-
mas nearly 1.2 million dollars during their careers.”7
2. A college degree will make you more marketable. Employers like to hire
college graduates because college graduates can think and learn. Graduates
with two- or four-year degrees qualify for a greater range of higher-paying
entry- and upper-level career positions than those with only a high school
degree. Earning a college degree can open doors that would otherwise
remain closed.
3. Are you really that much smarter if you earn a college degree? In gen-
eral, the answer is “yes.” Most college graduates come away with a greater
knowledge base and an ability to problem-solve and think analytically,
which are all very attractive qualities to a potential employer.
4. Attending college provides professional networking opportunities that
are not available to those who don’t go to college. Many professional organi-
zations have student chapters on college that provide valuable networking
opportunities with professionals in a student’s chosen field.
5. Graduates reap other benefits from going to college. Some of the greatest
benefits of a college education are the experiences that you gain while
attending school. For example, you have the opportunity to meet new peo-
ple from all over the world and to expand your knowledge base by being
introduced to theories and concepts you might not have learned about any-
where else.8
All of us have heard those alarming stories about college students who
cannot find a job and have mountains of debt loan. Some of these instances
may be real, but the media tend to exaggerate the problem. According to
the College Board, about 60 percent of students who earned bachelor’s
degrees in 2012–2013 from the public and private nonprofit institutions
borrowed an average of $27,300,9 which is a tiny fraction of the long-term
