Is higher education even worth it? According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), it is. Young adult college graduates had a 79 percent full-time, year-round employment rate in 2016 — larger than those with a high school diploma or GED.
Statistics show that the higher your education level, the better your chances are for full-time, year-round employment. In 2016, students with a bachelor’s degree also made roughly 57 percent more in annual earnings than students with a high school diploma or equivalent.
In addition, the knowledge obtained at a four-year institution can help you on your vocational career path. For example, obtaining a business degree provides a good foundation for a student hoping to own an auto parts shop. Similarly, obtaining a degree in art can help an artist gain connections and licensure to expand their options as a working professional.
Being a professional is a learned trade that takes cultivation of skills like time management, communication and leadership. You practice all these things as a student in college as you manage your schedule, interact professionally with your peers and professors, and explore leadership in clubs, at work or through class projects. You are given opportunities and tools for networking throughout your time in college, and you strengthen “soft skills” that will ultimately be of use in any career you choose.
SHAYNA DIX
is a senior graduating in the fall with an Elementary Education licensure. For her last semester, she’s student teaching in a first-grade classroom in Longmont, Colo.
