Do you really make more money with a college degree these days?

1. 60

   Amanda Ligiposted 12 years ago

   Do you really make more money with a college degree these days?
   
   

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2. 68

   diplessposted 12 years ago

   The stats say yes, and for specialised industries I would say this is still true. However a more general subject is often very difficult to find a graduate level job, so many take jobs they could have got without the degree. However one thing is clear, that is the final salaries of degree holders, especially Masters and doctorates, are substantially higher than the national average.

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3. 0

   SmarttChickposted 12 years ago

   This is a very complex question, and the answer is as well.
   
   In the post-WWII years, those with degrees were often automatically moved into the managerial ranks, regardless of the degree. People saw this as an indictment of not having the degree, and as student loan and federal funding opened up, there was a SURGE for everyone to get a degree, ANY degree, as it appeared to guarantee a higher salary. 
   
   This game went on though the decadent 1980s and into the mid-1990s where other similar stupidity seemed to permeate American society (like taking unlimited 2nd mortgages out on your home since home prices ALWAYS go up,...).
   
   As tuition and fees at all institutions have continued to outpace the cost of living, other realities (great recession, wage stagnation, housing bust, unemployment, etc.) have sucker-punched the workforce. 
   
   If you look only at the unemployment rates for people with degrees (~4%) as opposed to those without degrees (~8%), you will think that indeed, you are better off with a degree, but I will add this caveat:
   
   Most of us don't have trustfunds to pay for college, and it keeps getting more expensive. If you borrow $50,000 - $100,000 for a bachelor's degree (not uncommon today), you need to look at how much you'll make in your new profession and compare that to how much your student loans will cost each month.
   
   Sometimes, it might be better to work in a lower-paying job, attend schoool PART TIME (paying as much on your own as possible) and avoid the high student loan payments that accompany too many of college degrees being awarded today.

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4. 58

   Jesus was a hippyposted 12 years ago

   It depends what you do. I started driving a taxi when I was 20 years old and walked straight in to earnings up to £1000 a week. I know carpet fitters and window cleaners that earned the same money while university graduates were struggling to find a £400 a week job.
   
   Of course now there is a recession, they will find it even harder to find a job, but in relation, my earnings are lower too.

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5. 60

   plussize-lingerieposted 12 years ago

   I think the answers above are great. I think it is becoming less clear cut as to whether a degree is beneficial, which is something of a tragedy.
   
   I'm not sure when we as a society decided that we should make education something that's not worth having, but that's where we seem to have got to.
   The idea that the degree only benefits the recipient rather than society as a whole and the government through tax receipts is one that will come back to bite us, but not until long after these politicians have left office so they don't care.
   
   Increasing costs of eductation are simpy another example of the ladder being pulled up after a generation with no thought to the long term effects on the quality of workforce being generated in 10 years time.
   
   Frankly, I could go on, but the truth is currently a degree might be worth getting, depending on what job you want afterwards, but think carefully.

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6. 59

   keithlipkeposted 12 years ago

   It really depends on what degree you get, or what job you're doing at that time. Check out BLS.gov for more info on salaries.

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7. 60

   AnimeHime2011posted 12 years ago

   Not really positive and I think that it depends on where you live at as well. But I'm gonna try to see about what kind of things that I'll be able to do after I finish the step of finishing my GED.

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8. 70

   cleaner3posted 12 years ago

   I hope that I do make more money. but right now I fit the profile of working and going to school part time. I had another smart person tell me that it sometimes is better to go part time and get A's instead of going full time and get C's.  When a prospective employer looks at my resume and see's A's and compares it to another resume who has C's .
   Who do you think he will hire? Even though the other person has the same degree that took 2 years and mine took 4 years. Would you go to a doctor that had grades of C's or grades of A's for surgery?
   Good Question

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9. 61

   Tiger Momposted 12 years ago

   Yes.  It's a buyer's market right now.  Employers dictate the minimum requirements for a job position.  Even entry level positions who traditionally do not require a bachelors degree are requiring one now.  In order to get into interview for a job, you have to have a bachelors degree.  The jobless do not require a degree, and make less, obviously.

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10. 51

    moisesklineposted 11 years ago

    Statistically, it's been proven that degree holders make more money than those without a college degree. It's true that employers will prefer a resume that boasts of a college degree over one that lacks it. It also depends on what industry you make your career in. If it's medical science, engineering, or business, then having a degree is important to even get your foot in the door. I believe college education, and subsequently, a degree increases your chances of a well-paid job. If you read California College San Diego student reviews, you'll find that most students agree with the fact that a degree has helped them in many ways to build a strong future.
    http://www.cc-sd.edu/about-us

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