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Is college worth it today?

Debate Information

I feel like in todays world, a degree is becoming less and less required for jobs as we are seeing an increasing number of business owners share their opinion on college and school. More college dropouts are building some of the largest companies in the world and are lashing out on schools standardizing intelligence and condemning creativity. What are your thoughts?
Whatdoyouwantfromme
  1. Live Poll

    Is college worth it today?

    9 votes
    1. Yes
      44.44%
    2. No
      55.56%



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  • beckysmithbeckysmith 34 Pts   -  
    I think in the United States, if you look at the opportunity cost, it is generally not worth getting a 4+ year degree for the amount that it costs. I do think it depends what you intend to study, what your financial situation is at the moment, and what school you go to, but in general I think you can learn the same amount through other services through the internet or books/textbooks. 
    George_HorseWhatdoyouwantfromme
  • whiteflamewhiteflame 689 Pts   -  
    It has been shown repeatedly, in multiple studies, that those with a college degree earn more than their counterparts without one. Similarly, access to jobs increases for those with a Bachelor's. There is no doubt that the costs of attending college are higher than ever, and that is certainly something to be concerned about, but in general, graduates are recouping that cost after about 10 years.

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2014/09/14/why-going-to-college-is-important/15525805/

    I don't doubt that there are alternatives that could also be very valuable, like vocational schools, but the notion that being a high school dropout is somehow just as good as getting a Bachelor's degree because some exceptional people succeed in spite of a lack of schooling is really not how we should engage with a society-wide issue like this.
    Whatdoyouwantfromme
  • MayCaesarMayCaesar 5970 Pts   -   edited September 2018
    In certain professions, such as those related to science, law and medicine, not having a college degree pretty much closes all doors for you - not to mention that the knowledge and experience you need in order to be able to do your job is nearly impossible to obtain on your own. In absolutely every field it is better to have a college degree than not to have it.

    All those people saying "Colleges are worthless now" on the Internet were fed some strange narrative not backed by any logic. Are there successful enterpreneurs without higher education degrees? Sure. Do those enterpreneurs represent the population? Of course not. They are extremely rare outliers, people with natural talent and conviction that can get far more by studying on their own, than by taking classes. If people see that Bill Gates dropped out of college and became the wealthiest person in the world and say, "I want to be like him, so I do not need higher education" - by all means, they can go ahead and try, although they should not be surprised when 99.999% of them end up working at McDonalds after going bankrupt and having nothing to show to the potential employers.

    The real question you need to ask is not "Is college worth it today?", but, rather, "Does the time and money investment in higher education give the net profit in the end for me personally?" If you want, for example, to have a professional career in boxing, then you are better off spending this time and money on training, then on taking classes that do not benefit you professionally in any way. But if you want to work at Wall Street, or to found a successful high-tech company - then, unless you are one of the one in a million people with the natural talent for these things, you will not get far without higher education or, at least, a proper substitution for it.
    whiteflameWhatdoyouwantfrommeZeusAres42
  • xMathFanxxMathFanx 140 Pts   -  
    Is college worth it today?

    Concerning finances, attaining a standard University diploma is not at all necessary in order to thrive in America, as other options exist in abundance. To briefly discuss but a few, let us focus in on vocational training, real estate, and "penny pinching" while working at the local corner store.

    First, consider the route of vocational training. Standard jobs in this grouping include Electrician, Plumber, HVAC Technician, Installer/Repairer, Dental Hygienest, etc. etc., all of which pay $40,000-$80,000 a year on average. As of 2018, the average starting salary of a University graduate is $50,000 per year. Hence, the flat rate difference is non-existent, or even detrimental to the University grad when compared side-to-side. Further, the average University graduate has accumulated $30,000 of debt, which would definitively reveal vocational training as the superior path to succeed monetarily.

    Second, real estate provides an individual with the means to generate passive income as well as having their own investments make money for them, unlike a wage/"9-5". Through purchasing property, one can get other people to pay off their mortgage as well as further income that will allow them to purchase further property, that will in turn produce further earnings. It is a very solid, simple strategy that works every time, as long as the individual does not get greedy and take unnecessary risks.

    Third, and finally, working at the local corner store and "penny pinching" is yet another very basic, effective strategy for financial success. For instance, take the example of a local grocery store yearly wage earnings. The standard worker will begin at minimum wage, or very close, making approximately $7.25 per hour the first year, with yearly raises that typically go to about $17 an hour, and added benefits for long-standing full-time workers such as health coverage. Then, if a person works 60 hours a week the first few years, they will earn $21,000 up to $30,000 annually as the wage increases. A single apartment can be found for $725 a month rent, low electricity usage, say $35 a month, grocery bill at $225 a month, no cable, basic internet (if desired) for $50, and walk/bicycle to work and bussing for elsewhere (therefore, no car bill nor insurance). Then, even after this initial low hourly wage period, they will be able to save about $35,000. With that money, they can purchase a condo or small townhouse, where the mortgage will be considerably less than rent payment, approximately $350 a month, as well as earning a higher base wage and benefits package (health coverage, possibly tuition assistance programs as well), and will be able to transition over to a 40 hour work week from that point onward and sustain a local lifestyle. Also, a vehicle could be comfortably purchased if desired. As years accumulate, they approach the $17 an hour cap, which is nearly $35,000 per year. Now with other expenses being less than or equal to $1000 a month, this implies they will be able to save $20,000 per year. After "x" amount of years of doing this, they will easily be able to either (a) go down to a leisurely part-time hours, say 10-20 per week (b) work seasonally (c) take "x" years off and "y" on, in order to support their lifestyle comfortably.

    In conclusion, we have seen how, in America, if one has a sensible plan, follows it rather than succumbing to the vice of overindulgence, they will be able to monetarily succeed and support a very comfortable lifestyle. A few such strategies have been outlined, namely (a) vocational training (b) real estate (c) local work and frugalness. These are very straightforward, simple, and effective strategies that work every time when implemented inside of the pre-specified boundaries.
    Whatdoyouwantfromme
  • College is  always worth it. You can't get a good paying job unless you have gone to college. You get a good social experince socoially. Form some you get to experience independence and freedom for the first time. Yo alslo have the ability to take a huge arraty of classes. Some youve never heard of or become really intrested in.
  • Depends on you and your own individual circumstances.



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