Obtaining a college degree is significant for a few reasons, such as giving a person more opportunities for careers, money and advancement in life. For some students, the idea of being able to immediately make a large amount of money after college is very appealing.
Many students are sick of being in school by the time they finally graduate high school and cannot fathom going back in to school afterward.
A common concern is the time frame of college, and how much longer they will need to be in school.
The time frame of how long it will take a person to earn a college degree depends on which type of degree a person is going to school for. Some degrees, such as a degree in the doctoral field, take many more years of school than other types of degrees.
There are lots of benefits for attending college. One benefit is simply being more prosperous and moderately rich than most who do not attend college.
Another benefit is that having a college degree can be passed on to a person's children. A parent who holds a college degree serves as a great example of determination and success to their children, and will most likely result in the children going on to college after high school.
Obtaining a college degree sets a person apart from a lot of people, and most importantly, makes a child independent from her parents.
A major disadvantage to college degree is that college is very expensive. However, rather than depreciating in value, a college degree appreciates in value and worth later on. There are ways to lower the cost, such as scholarships, grants or attending a community college.
Another disadvantage that a lot of people consider is the time spent in classes and on homework assignments.
According to the "Postsecondary Education Opportunity Research Letter," the income of families over the course of a lifetime, in which the head of household held a college degree, is $1.6 million more than the income of families in which the head of household holds only a high school diploma or GED.
Also, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average income for a man who was 25 or older in the year 1999, with a college degree, was $61,000, where the average income for a man of the same age who only held a high school diploma was only $32,000.