Before a college degree can be sought, a student has to complete high school. Many high schools have college-prep track curricula besides vocational/technical training. The college-prep classes are designed to prepare the student for the rigorous coursework that is ahead in college. This usually includes work in such subjects as math, science, English and social studies, as well as a year of music and health education and two years of physical education.
Once a high school diploma is acquired, receiving a college degree comes with its own host of requirements. Most schools require that, before a student starts his major courses, he must complete basic course work. For instance, a student majoring in psychology would have to fulfill the College of Liberal Arts requirements first, which will consist of basic English, history, math, science, language, social science, humanities and fine arts courses. Once those are completed, the student is allowed to enter the major courses, which, for a psychology major, would be all of the upper level psychology courses that are needed to fulfill the degree requirements.
The value of a college degree is often debated. Some sources report that its value is $1 million. However, economists such as Sandy Baum in a study for the College Board maintain that the current value of a college degree is around $300,000, after subtracting the costs of education and the impact of inflation. According to "U.S. News and Reports," college graduates earn, on average, about $20,000 a year more than high school graduates. The average holder of a bachelor's degree earns about $51,000 a year.
An added incentive for obtaining a college degree is that it opens up the possibilities for higher education. Students who stop at a high school diploma will never have the option of going on to lucrative careers in medicine or law or as chief company executives. Entry into a law or medical school both require exemplary grades throughout the college degree program and students who go on to earn MBAs, law degrees or other professional degrees make about $100,000 a year.
Students who gain college degrees are employed at a higher rate than those who stop at a high school diploma. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of June 2010, 55.3 percent of people with high school diplomas are employed versus 73.8 percent of those who have a college degree or higher. People who have college degrees also obtain more professional jobs, whereas those with high school diplomas make up much of the technical/vocational workforce.