College tuition fees in the USA are among the highest in the world, yet there persists a belief that gaining a degree is the only way to get ahead in life. While it’s true that a college education can unlock job opportunities with decent salaries, not all graduates become wealthy later in life, and investing in university is often not worth it. The tuition fees alone for four years at a private university costs just under $140,000 when you factor in the average annual price increase, but perhaps the biggest cost associated with college is time.
[Read more…]Should Our Focus Move Back to Skills-Based Training Instead of a College Education?
There’s a common perception that a college education results in a high salary and quality of life, but dropout rates and crippling debt often go unconsidered. Nowadays, a significant portion of college graduates struggle to find work, and high university fees and loan interest rates can affect a person’s income for many years after graduation. Skills-based training, on the other hand, costs significantly less than a bachelor’s degree and takes two years to complete rather than four. Could skills-based training be more beneficial for today’s high school students? Or, should people still believe that they must aim for university?
[Read more…]What Are the Alternatives to a College Education?
There could be any number of reasons to opt out of attending a four-year college. Maybe you’ve crunched the numbers and determined that the investment is too big and the risk too high. Maybe you aren’t sure what you want to study and don’t want to be floating around a college campus with “undecided” as your major. Maybe you just feel burned out on school and want to give yourself some time away from the classroom.
Whatever the reason, there is no shame in deferring college for a year or two or going a different path entirely. While today’s high school students (and their parents) have been conditioned to plan for college as the only reasonable way forward, there are certainly other ways to go after graduation. If you or your son or daughter is leaning toward not going to college, here are a few potential alternatives to consider.
[Read more…]What a Changing World Will Need from Its Workers
For many, many years, most colleges and universities around the country have emphasized the importance of “a well-rounded liberal arts education.” It’s this kind of educational path that requires students to take courses and accumulate credits from a wide range of disciplines—including humanities, communication, math, science and technology, social science, and more. These credit requirements—usually referred to as “General Education” requirements, or Gen-Eds—form the backbone of a student’s college education at many U.S. institutions of higher learning. The question is, are these schools that preach versatility and “well-rounded” education giving students the tools they need to succeed in the modern workplace?
[Read more…]Why Does Attending College Involve an Opportunity Cost?
A high school graduation is a significant milestone in many lives, and it often coincides with a young person beginning the final transition into adulthood. In the past, what that meant differed for many people. Today, however, the predominant path involves immediate entrance into college. Many high school students spend their senior years in a chaotic rush of college and scholarship applications, after all. Despite the growing real cost of studying in a university, attendance rates continue to increase. The explanation often goes that earning a degree ostensibly makes one more valuable as an employee, so the tuition, fees, and other associated costs are a justifiable expense.
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