Ask the Readers: Is it Worth it to Go to College?

College is worth it if students use the experience to its fullest. The college dorm experience can be a great scaffolded introduction to living on one's own. College courses can train students for specific high paying careers if the student is driven and diligent. College on-campus jobs and career centers can give students work experience and connect students with higher paying employers.

College is not for everyone, but it has the potential to help students grow into productive, world-smart adults.

College is definitely worth the investment, IF you do the Return on Investment analysis first and go into a field that is actually going to pay you back for the cost of that degree. As I have discovered while assisting my 16-year-old daughter in her research of schools and programs out there, very often a 2 year Associates Degree from a community college can pay better than a 4 year degree in the Liberal Arts. Business Management, Paralegal Studies, Radiologic Technician.... all fields that require merely an Associates and start out at $40k a year.

There are far too many people out there with BA's and BS's in sociology, education, marketing, and other fields who can't find meaningful work and are now going back to school at community colleges to get their AS in another field so they can pay off those huge student loans they took out to get the BS.

College is worth it only if you use the experience to the greatest advantage. Use it to grow, learn about yourself, network with people, etc.

I think it depends on the person. If you know what you want to do and get a job then it is worth the money and the debt. If you are just going to go, then no, you need to get direction first.

It was helpful for me, although I also had my parents foot the bill. But socially I came into my own, I learned a fair amount, and it helped me get work.

Yes and no, having gone to college I feel first hand that having a college degree can help in some fields and is a necessity for others like doctors or lawyers teachers etc but with job security out the window I feel a college degree can help you get a few more job interviews but not much else. No amount of education or experience makes anyone immune to downsizing or a layoff unfortunately, these days

Not to mention when I was in HS, the HS and college the curricula in my area have changed alot some for the good and some for the bad. So in my area graduating HS or college really doesn't prepare you for much after you graduate And lord forbid if you loose a good paying job here, because a lot of fast food places, or retailers don't favor the college educated since they know they aren't trapped there like someone with either no education, a GED or HS diploma Having a college degree for many retailers here makes you seem overqualified.

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Absolutely. I'm graduating with a BA in May and have found the experience to be extremely valuable. I've learned so much both in the classroom and out. The student work experience that has been available to me these past 4 years has been incredible.

However, I'm also going to be graduating debt free. Anywhere between 12-18 credits is the same amount of tuition - so I was taking on the high end this whole time to decrease my cost/credit which has allowed me to ultimately pay less. I've also been working about 25-30 hours per week on top of those classes and 50-60 hours per week in the summers. Those, combined with help from my parents, has allowed me to graduate with no loans. Other than a few, I've really enjoyed my classes and have loved my jobs, so it hasn't been too bad. :)

I'm currently paying for my daughter. It's worth it to attend for many reasons, but the money doesn't balance out anymore. You have to pick your career carefully. It wouldn't make sense to spend $200k and become a teacher.

I think it is definitely worth it in order to learn more about oneself and others, as well as the specific and general knowledge gained .

It depends on the degree and career desired. For something that must have the education to back it up, doctor, lawyer, engineer, of course. To be an artist, writer, other creative type, not so much. Check out the requirements of what you want to do before investing.

College is worth it in many instances, but sometimes it winds up being a little more than a training program.

College is always worthwhile because it is a focal point for many other invaluable experiences, much of which becomes more important than the education itself.

Yes, after some "real world" work experience and seeking cost-minimization. Learning how to study and gaining practice in thinking and communicating is quite valuable, and I found the external discipline and the connection with teachers to be important. I worked my way through school, spending around $20-25K for my bachelor's degree (started with an associate's at a community college, finished the bachelor's at a private school). Being a "part timer" while working full time reduced the costs substantially.

A qualified yes from me. I don't think there's any black & white single perfect answer to this. The student needs to put in the effort to maximize the opportunity. I think only a few career tracks are worth racking up a whole lot of debt - those where you can't get a job without the degree, and you know you'll make enough more with the degree to pay off the debt. I attended college on a full scholarship. My child had a mix of scholarships, grants, $ from family, and financial aid.

As more and more people go to college, our jobs go overseas. Do you see the connection? NO ONE in this country wants to be a factory worker sewing buttons on.
The mentality that "College = Good Job" is very deeply embedded in our society. We need to be more realistic...not everyone can be "somebody".

Yes it is worth it to go at least i wish i would have gone i would be alot better off than i am now.

I spent two years in college, then bailed. I wanted to be a reporter, had taken almost all the journalism classes in those first two years, and didn't want to waste time and money on general subjects.

It has paid off for me. I started working at a newspaper in 2007. If I had waited to graduate, that would have seen me entering the job market in 2008 and probably never getting that foothold I needed to get started.

I don't feel my education has suffered -- I can learn most of what I'd have learned there on my own. I do think my paycheck might have suffered a bit, though I don't know. It has been a bad few years for journalism regardless.

Yes, going to college is worth it. Out of high school I didn't go straight to college and was able to find steady work but not for near the amount of pay I would have liked. So I went back to college and got a license in the medical field. Now I am making more money than I ever have and it's relieved lots of stress because now my bills are easier to pay.

Going to college is worth it for two reasons. One, In addition to anything you manage to learn, you make connections that will carry with you in the outside world (This can amount to jobs,) and two, that regardless of your degree... it WILL open doors for you that people without the degree may not come across in their lifetime.

I completely think college is worth it. I was given many opportunities in college that eventually led to an incredible job after graduation.

To sum it up, YES !! In life, there are no guarantees, except taxes and death. My degrees are in Accounting and Computers (graduated mid 80's) which have open doors to jobs even in a down market. Being the oldest of seven siblings, half of them with degreees, one can see the different. A degree is an investment in ones self and ones future, SO get studying and graduate, you will enjoy the adventure Can not sum it up better then that.

A decision about college can be made by looking at a few different variables. If the field you are intending to enter is extremely competitive, college is worth every penny (most of the time, I'll come back to this). If you are entering a field with a standard/usual/normal amount of competition, college can usually be justified as a way to set yourself apart from your competition. Now if you are entering a field that requires no college and isn't competitive, college usually is ruled out.
College will be expensive, and expensive is relative, but the cost doesn't need to be over the top. We all know someone who paid triple to tuition, for half the education. Don't be that person

The bigger question would be:
Is a college education providing America with an educated workforce?
Are there enough educated workers capable of steping in?
Is that why Corporations are looking overseas?

Depends on a few things: the cost, the school, and the student. I was lucky to get a lot of scholarships and my parents helped pay my way. I am not directly using my degrees, but I learned a lot about myself, my work ethic, what motivates me, and what my skills are most concentrated around, so it was definitely worth it for me!

Maybe, or most likely. Worth what and for who, are the questions. Money, depends on how much and for what future job, and how likely that job will be needed at that point. Experience, many may enjoy the experience, others may not. Time, depends on the job, if your making a million a year now, then I'd say no. All of those require some amount of luck. So my advise would be to always do your best AT and FOR, WHO and WHAT you LOVE. If you follow that, the path will be your path.

I am all for college, as long as it doesn't come at a price that limits your options- and that is exactly where I'm at now. I'm in grad school- and while it's a great education, is the debt I'm accumulating keeping me from other interests and opportunities?

I think you should try community college, state college, etc. until you figure out what you want. If you're not happy, take a leave of absence and try another path. Don't let college make you "stuck," for fear of completion or stress over mountains of debt.

Going to grad school has brought me a lot of great life experiences that didn't occur in the classroom, but the process is something I think was worth it (the moving, exploration, building national networks)- but I hope "college itself," won't entrap me or anyone else just for the sake of having a piece of paper. Go if it matters to you, leave when you feel it's right, go back when it's time. It's hard to make generalizations otherwise. :)

It all depends on your particular abilities and goals. We made the decision to send my husband to college after we got married so that he could become a software engineer. Would it have been possible for him to learn the field and get hired on his own? Maybe... but it would have been extremely difficult. But say your great aspiration in life is to be a cosmetologist. Or you're slightly brain-damaged and have trouble remembering things. College is not worth it for everyone.

Hey Ashley,

Idk, Most of the best stuff I've learned on my own. But it wouldn't have happened with out the spark of interest that the community and mentorship at college gave me. Specifically Mike Colagrosso's Operating Systems class that forced me into Linux...the Dark Side.

Of course I did Computer Science, I'm sure there's some degrees that are totally worth it and others not. Culinary Arts and Music? Maybe not. Engineering and Management? Maybe. And also depends on the person, if they can observe/read books/teach themselves and are self motivated, etc. But ultimately what's essential to optimal learning no matter what, is the mentorship of an experienced master.

But only time'll tell if it was worth all the g's I'm dealn' out each month. Maybe.

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(Say hi to Nate and Diamond!)

It really depends on what you want to do! If you are planning to get a corporate, even small company, job, then a college degree will be an asset worth paying for. My husband got a job simply because he, and not the other prospective employee, had a college degree. (BTW, he just celebrated his 16th anniversary there.) I had quite a few opportunities to travel during college and LOVED it! I'm now hopefully instilling a love of travel in my own children. College degrees are pretty much looked at equally, even though some have paid 50K a year and others 20K. Most of the time, just the fact that you have a degree is helpful.

yes

College can be worth the price if you have a clear idea of what the education will be a means to achieving (a stable job, a salary, etc).

Too many college students:
- Go because it is expected without thought to the long term implications of cost
- Use it as an extension of high school/ a place to stall entering the real world or
- Pursue what has been labeled "selfish" means (pursing a topic because of a strong like, without intention or ability to use it for a career).
In these cases the college education may hold some value to the person, but not be worth the monetary cost.

Then again, my valedictorian cousin, decided that four years of college wasn't worth the money and decided he would instead pursue his interest in technical field (cars). With only two years in school, no debt and a career he loves, he manages a race shop and out earns the other two of us who have graduate degrees, school debt and "it pays the bills" type jobs.

College is really only as good as you make it. After attending a tier-1 public university and a local state college, I've found the local college experience significantly better. Not because they are better funded (they aren't), have better professors (they don't), or better opportunities (nope). It's because I've poured myself into the curriculum with the right colleagues and we're learning more every week than I did in entire semesters at the older school.

Beyond that, it's not worth it.

For me, college was not worth the cost. For me, it was all about degree. I am the only college graduate in my family, so my parents convinced me that any degree was good enough, so I went for theatre. Graduated with $40,000 in student loans for a degree that got me a job paying $20,000 per year, got married shortly after and plan to quit to have children soon. If you want to have a family oriented life style, college is not really worth it.

I think that an individual will reap the benefits of going to college if it is coupled with real work experience, as well as a strong knowledge of and interest in going into a specific line of work.

I went to school to earn a BA in Communication because I had a desire to get a MA and use my degrees to teach at a university (it is a requirement). While I attended school, I worked in various fields including Accounting and Business. While I was in school, I got a great job, but it was specifically based off of my work experience. However, in order to move up and become a director, it is a requirement to have a degree, the subject matter does not matter, they just require that you have a BA in something.

Personally, I feel that my degree is and will be useless until I decide to get a MA and go into a specialized field (teaching). As I move up in the business sector, I'm leaning more and more towards going back to school to get a degree in Business because it provides me with specialized knowledge that I cant get strictly from work experience. Hence the reason why I feel that a degree doesnt provide any real world benefits until you're almost certain of which direction you are heading in.

I don't think the education is worth the expense; these days, there's a lot you can learn online for free. It's just the piece of paper (degree) that you're really paying for, and that's because so many employers these days REQUIRE at least a Bachelor's degree. I was able to get an excellent job without a degree, mainly because I proved that I have the required skills and experience, but also because I'm young and still in school PURSUING that degree that they want me to have. I'm a Computer Science major; programming languages are learned for free at home every day, so there's no logical reason for me to pay thousands of dollars for someone to teach me. It's all about the degree.

If you know what you want to do with your life or if you just want to enrich yourself and enjoy learning then, yes, it's worth it. It definitely helps if you can afford it, but college can be an excellent investment in yourself, your career, and your future. If you go simply because it's expected of you, your parents want you to go, all your friends are going, you don't know what else to do, or just going for the partying, then I would say not worth it.

Compared to other countries, we need kids who are smart to continue their education, if they can afford it, for the good of the world. My 23 year old daughter had to drop out of her major in chemistry to help support the family in this horrible economy. She has many student loans, I doubt she will be able to return to college or do anything with her chemistry knowledge. Science is one of the subjects many American children are falling behind in. With Obama wanting to cut the pell grants, I am afraid my 20 year old son who is only going to community college to become a police officer, will not be able to finish his education as well. In this economy we also need the safety of the police. I have very little hope for American's children and our future as a whole.

I say it's one of the most perverse thing in our society. We've somehow convinced ourselves that college and university are the foundation to wealth creation and it's totally false.

The time involved and the money are counter productive. One wastes 4 years and spends, what, hundreds of thousands in some cases? The experiences do not offer valuable enough knowledge so that when the student graduates they can produce value exceeding what they paid in tuition.

College and University have almost become a fad. Baby boomers seem to have been particularly addicted to the myth that "going to college" is the way to wealth. I have no idea why. Maybe generations like Gen X will raise their kids differently, it's hard to say. I am betting against the business of school in the future...I think many colleges will go broke...many are broke. Good riddance.

Certainly, if one wants to become a professional doctor, lawyer, dentist, engineer, or any other science oriented field, college and university are a must.

I went to a "great" University and the experience was "fun". My degree was in commerce and I specialize in Hotel and Tourism administration. In a nut shell, Universities have to fill 4 years, so they often make degree programs take 2-3 times longer then they need to. They're in the business of selling tuition, right?

So many of my courses were redundant I became a dissatisfied customer. I have learned so much more on my own, through reading and travel and speaking with professionals in many fields. I subscribe to newsletters and I learn on my own. I love learning despite universities short comings.

I home school my children, so I research education a great deal. I think, education like so many things is evolving. It's easy to condemn it (the norm), but it's served a purpose - good for the division of labor system - pumping out automatons, good little worker bees.

I read that the entire math curriculum from grades 1-12, if the child waited until they were naturally comfortable and ready to learn math, could be learned in 18 months! This is a game changer. The problem for most kids is being on a time clock with a bell, and having some mediocre teacher preaching, breeds mediocrity. I want more for my children.

Same goes for college and university. I'm not sending them, cause it's "the thing to do", according to the guidance councilor, main stream media and my peers. Why? Because they can't prove the worth to me. They're not dealing in facts, but fads.

A better way, might be, take $50K that might have gone into school and set a plan with your child. Plan out a voyage to 25 countries 1 month each and do a year worth of research on the movers and shakers in the major centers - the professional in law, real estate, banking, etc. Have your child travel to these places with a plan, like Barron Rothschild did with his 5 boys, sending them to the 5 major centers of Europe. Your child documents all the info they learn: laws, prices, opportunities, contacts, etc. and when they return you make a new plan to build an international business. Take another $50K or so and grub stake their new, international business. You're in for 70% stake and they get 30% and they do the work with your capital....this is what J Paul Getty's dad did with him.

Teach kids critical thinking and then think about spending a quarter million and 4 years on college....

The value of college is absolutely worth the cost, provided that students are getting a solid liberal arts foundation that teaches them critical thinking and creative problem solving skills. Those skills will last a lifetime, whereas the applied skills you learn will have to be updated as technology and practices evolve, and will help you in your personal life as well as in the workplace.