Top 5 Advantages of College Education in 2022
What are the advantages of college when tuition is so expensive? Read on to learn the 5 benefits of having a college degree.
These days, a college education has a hefty price tag. According to a report on college pricing trends by the College Board, a college education in 2021 costs you over $10,000. That cost creeps to almost $30,000 if you’re an out-of-state student.
With the amount of time Americans spend paying student loan debt after graduation, it can be hard to realize the advantages of college. Additionally, so many potential students drop out or opt-out of college altogether in search of work, begging the question: does a college degree matter?
The answer is yes. Even if you’re unsure of what to major in, the benefits of college degrees are significant enough for you to make it part of your future plans.
So, what are the advantages of going to college, and do they outweigh the time and financial commitment? Read on as we traverse through all the benefits of college education that make it essential for professionals in 2022!
Top 5 Advantages of College Education
Below you’ll find a list of college education benefits and some details about how they make college worthwhile for many of us:
- More Job Opportunities
- Higher Earning Potential
- More Networking Opportunities
- Greater Loss of Income Without a Degree
- Personal Satisfaction and Passionate Study
Do these college education benefits apply to all fields of study? We think so. Let’s dive deeper into each of the advantages of college education:
1. More Job Opportunities
This is one of the most important pros of going to college. While not every field of study promises enhanced job security or a lucrative salary, there are, without a doubt, more options for jobs for people with degrees.
Back in the day, a degree wasn’t as widely accessible to people. That’s why there are many positions that even though the incumbent doesn’t have a degree, the next person in line will be expected to have one. This is known as degree inflation, which refers to a demand for candidates to have degrees for positions that did not previously require them.
The business, engineering, legal, healthcare, education, media, and event arts industries all have countless positions that require degrees. While networking or extensive experience may get your foot in the door without a degree, it’s much easier to secure a second glance at your resume if you have an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree listed.
2. More Networking Opportunities
In terms of securing a job or advancing in your career, networking is often even more powerful than your degree. CNBC tells us that most available job openings aren’t even published on any job boards, instead filled through referrals and network contacts.
College is a great place to start building your network, as you connect with peers in your future field, professors who are experts in your field, and later, an alumni network.
3. Higher Earning Potential
Higher earning potential might be the most attractive out of all the benefits of having a college degree. People with degrees tend to make more than people without them, but the story isn’t so clear-cut. Other factors play into people making more money with a college education, like the field of study, type of degree, and even your state of residence.
For example, one study from Georgetown University showed that people who completed some college education without graduating with a degree earned more than people who didn’t complete any college education. Moreover, that same study indicated that those with master’s degrees tended to earn more than those with bachelor’s degrees.
Fields of study that earned graduates the most money over their lifetime included engineering, computers, healthcare, and physical sciences over the arts.
4. Greater Loss of Income Without a Degree
One criticism of the purported pros of going to college is the fact that some people without a degree make just as much, if not more than, people with a degree. But that statement is quickly becoming outdated, as the average income for people without degrees continues to decrease rapidly — even more rapidly than the rise of tuition costs.
What does that mean? The longer you wait to obtain a college education, the lower your income will be, according to the stats.
5. Personal Satisfaction and Passionate Study
Sometimes, it’s not about the money or career advancement. Our souls have a deep desire to indulge our curiosity, to learn, and be playful. College is a great way to have fun in your pursuit of knowledge, and indulge your passions through deeply engaging study.
Whether you’re fascinated by visual arts, aerospace engineering, cooking, or nursing — college gives you the most in-depth platform to explore your passions, which can offer feelings of accomplishment, wonder, and satisfaction.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How Does College Help Your Future?
College helps your future by opening up more opportunities for jobs, networking, and higher earning potential.
2. Does College Help You Succeed in Life?
According to many stats and studies, college grads tend to make more money than their peers without college degrees.
3. Is College the Best Option?
In most cases, college is the best option. It offers a natural pathway after highschool to continue your knowledge and later, find more job opportunities. But of course, there will always be some scenarios in which a college education isn’t the best option for now.
You might need more time to yourself for mental health reasons, work availability, or raising children - no matter your situation, college is the best option at some point in your life, but certainly not at every point.
Conclusion
The advantages of college are so significant that they’re worth the price tag. Keep in mind, though, that your field of study has the potential to offer you either more or fewer college benefits.
Ready to for prepare your college education? Secure tuition funding first, either through a student loan, scholarships, or both!
