Is a College Degree Really Worth the Cost?

negative returns on my investment

I graduated in 2006 with a BS from from the University of Minnesota; a school considered by many to be one of the top 3 public universities in the world. I majored in economics and graduated with a 3.43 GPA. Going on almost 4 years since receiving my degree I am still barely making ends meet working at a nursing home and paying $491/month for my student loans which will not be repain for another 22 years. Many of my peers are in same or similar situations where they simply cannot command a higher wage for their education. Perhaps I will eventually land a job earning $75k a year instead of my $24k I am currently earning as a full time nursing assistant. It turns out that a significant number of college graduates earn less than high school graduates after correcting earnings for lost income while attending college and their student debt repayment obligations.

Bitter college grad

College is a business; their first goal is to make money. Today because of the marketing success of colleges, there a LOT more degrees than jobs, making them less valuable. I just wish there was some way to hold colleges accountable for what they sell themselves on. (i.e.; more money, job opportunities, better lifestyle, etc.) I even have a "practical" degree in finance.

Money, control

No child was left behind and now they're in college, we're to expect that the academic standards are still as they were? Every other occupation that doesn't require a degree is nearly as bad, requiring a certificate or 2 or 16 that cost 50-1500 a piece. How far down is this going to go? Certificates or licenses to cut someone else's grass that isn't yours? Dishwashing certificates? States keep signing on these private organizations and giving them governmental powers like the bar associations and state medical licensing boards for piddly stuff that people have always done on their own. Given a choice between a mechanic that is 22 and has all the ASE certifications vs a 40 year old mechanic with none, I'll pick the 40 year old any day. They're even doing this at corporate levels with the ISO registration for instance, how many and what type you get depends on how much you want to pay. I've been involved in the ISO process, it's completely and utterly meaningless except to higher more upper managers to file and maintain the paperwork and to get to put that overly cool logo on your letterhead. Not only is government bloated and squeezing out the private sector, it's turning major parts of the private sector INTO a quasi government, I think we're truly done as a country.

96 Purdue with debt still.

Is College worth the money?

Is college worth the money? I would have to say no! I have two Master's Degrees and I haven't come close to a return on my investment.

Now with a down in the economy, and student loan debt out of sight, I think the higher education is a sham. I would call it thievery. If I were asked about whether it was worth getting higher education, I would tell them, it not worth the time or the money unless someone can prove otherwise.

jd

I think the student loan system sucks. So, for some reason, I didn't register for selective service and now can never go to college unless I have the $$$$ wow that's fair!!

Bull crap!! I'm sorry if I grew up in the sticks and poor and now finally have a good job want to go back to school. I applied was accepted :-), but no you can't get a student loan sorry we need 4.5K/yr.........GREAT!!!!

witchkitty

Do your research. Education is NOT for young people! I did get my first degree as a young person, and have remained an indentured servant to the student loan system to this day at age 42.

If you go to school at your age, you can use deferrments, forbearances, and public service to stall your payments. Chances are you die still owing most of your student loans - it's the only way to win at the education game!!

GO for it!

education System need changed

people thought this problem is just because college education System need to be changed so that everyone gain things they needed

The college advantage

A degree has definately been a benefit for my husband. Both his dad and my dad didn't have degrees and they have struggled all our lives to make ends meet. My father has owned his own business for 30 years and still doesn't have a sound retirement even though his company is sucessful and his income is above average.

I have noticed that since my husband graduated he has become more sucessful at learning how to plan and invest. If there are things about our finances that need adjusting he seems to be better equipt to find the answers to the challenges than my dad and father-in-law. He also appears to have more job options available than they do. I have noticed that our dads tend to be more limited in their choices for employment than my husband.

I think the major benefit is that if my husband's job is less likely to become obsolete than our dads jobs, and if it does become obsolete he has a better chance of being able to learn new skills sets. It isn't because he's smarter than they are rather I believe that it is because going through college has given him the ability to learn and develope new skills when needed. This doesn't have anything to do with smarts, it is a technique that students use when surviving classes they don't excell at. It is a survivor skill that becomes ingrained in the student. I my opinion it is often (not always) missing in thosse who don't attend college.

I am thinking of going back to college but...

I graduated a year ago with a BA in Communication Arts and I also have an Associates in Visual Communications. The job market is so bad right now that i cannot find an entry level job. I am working part time at a country club. The problem i am faced with is that I have relatively no career experience and I am afraid that as time goes by people will look at that and think that i have been out of school too long and won't hire me. I considered getting my Masters but i don't know if that will open the job market any more. I feel that it is really about who you know and since i moved to a new state, i know no one. When i first moved here, i got a job as a Graphic Artist on a magazine but then was let go after a few months so i can't use that on my resume. I feel like i am stuck.

Better to have an education than not.

To many people, college is a waste of time and money. Still, it's better to be part of an enlightened or educated society than a return to our barbaric past.