Is a College Degree Still Worth It? >
With College Degree, One Size Does Not Fit All
Like any smart investment, the pursuit of higher education requires effort to explore the options
November 17, 2011
About Peter Konwerski:
Peter A. Konwerski, Ed.D. serves as senior associate vice president and dean of students for the Division of Student and Academic Support Services at George Washington University. As dean of students, Dr. Konwerski manages a diverse staff of educational professionals responsible for academic success; student academic engagement; and wellness, education, and prevention for GW undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.
Yes, a college degree still matters, but it requires work, particularly when selecting such an important investment. Compelling statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics continue to indicate that the college educated are employed at a rate nearly twice that of the national average when compared to high school graduates with no college degree.
[Average Student Debt Reaches All-Time High.]
That being said, I firmly believe in the array of academic alternatives available to students today. The challenge for a student is to find the right type of experience in all the available options. Students need to carefully investigate the accredited opportunities available for further study, including proprietary, distance, and technical education, the comprehensive two-year community college system, as well as the traditional four-year public and private college and university models.
While access to education is often correlated with success in the job market and is seen as a step toward economic independence (particularly for many first-generation, minority, veteran, or non-traditional students and their families) it takes research to find the right match. Like any smart investment, the pursuit of higher education requires effort to explore the options.
[Today's Young Adults Suffering More Financially than Older Generations.]
Once the decision to pursue higher education has been made, a student should take full advantage of the academic support systems available at the institution. These may include financial aid, academic advising, career development, personal counseling, disability support, health services, international or multicultural support, student engagement activities, or tutoring assistance. All of these areas are designed to assist the student in succeeding both in and out of the classroom.
So the bottom line is yes, a college degree or further study is worth it. Seek out the academic option that feels right and do the research to find the right path for you. And when you arrive at your campus--whether virtual or physical--maximize the support services to achieve your academic goals and aspirations.
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- Other Arguments
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#18030
Yes — The return on a college investment is more than that on almost any alternative
JULIE MARGETTA MORGAN, Policy Analyst with the Postsecondary Education Program at the Center for American Progress
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#26029
No — Four to six years of partying do not equal an education
CRAIG BRANDON, Author of 'The Five-Year Party: How Colleges Have Given Up On Educating Your Child' and 'What You Can Do About It'
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#44322
No — We now have nearly 80,000 bartenders and taxi drivers with bachelor's degrees
RICHARD VEDDER, Director of Center for College Affordability and Productivity
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#52611
Yes — Students and their families should not simply assume that college will be "worth it"
ROBERT B. SCHWARTZ, Francis Keppel Professor of Practice in Educational Policy and Administration at Harvard University
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#64128
No — Put more courses online and limit federal student loans to four years of undergraduate work
LINDSEY BURKE, Senior Policy Analyst in Domestic Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation
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#72919
No — What's the message when grads can't write a simple E-mail?
NAOMI SCHAEFER RILEY, Author of 'The Faculty Lounges ... And Other Reasons Why You Won't Get the College Education You Pay For'
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#82316
Yes — Encouraging students to go to college is the right choice
ANTHONY P. CARNEVALE, Director of Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce
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#92218
Yes — People need to go to college in order to have a fighting chance at a well-paying career
KEVIN CAREY, Policy Director of Education Sector
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#101816
Yes — College often provides the first opportunity for students to direct their own education
TOM CARROLL, President of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future
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#111720
Yes — The return on investment in postsecondary education remains compelling
CHRIS FARRELL, Economics Editor of 'Marketplace Money'
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#121627
Yes — Tuition and student debt have not grown "unmanageable"
CECILIA ELENA ROUSE, Katzman-Ernst Professor in the Economics of Education and Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University
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