Is University Worth It?

Meeting new people, dealing with office politics and problem solving in a timely fashion are some of the few indirect qualities university graduates possess.

[pullquote]The primary importance of an education is that it prepares students with skills that transcend any one field or career.[/pullquote]

Going to university is not all about the financial benefits, these are just the most measurable data. Subjective opinions on why one particular person went over another cannot be statistically observed. It should be noted that due to how expensive higher education is, ignoring the career prospects of a specific program and blindly jumping in can be very detrimental, especially in the accumulation of debt.

Is University a Good Investment?

In the overall career earnings, getting a bachelor’s degree is a good choice. On average, graduates earn more than their counter-parts and enjoy better careers which lead to more comfortable lives. But going to university requires more than a financial investment on behalf of the student.

Roscoe Mathieu is finishing his last year at Northeastern University as a sociology student and firmly believes that an undergraduate degree can help provide many more opportunities in addition to higher average salaries. He states that “…a college degree is the entrance ticket to the American middle-class. Jobs, society, you name it.” However, simply attending university and adhering to “C’s get degrees” is not the way to go and students should not expect their major to immediately land them a job. He continues to say that, “It’s not what you majored in. It’s what you learned. And that’s an onus on the student, not on the school or the department.” .

Andi Enns just recently graduated from Park University in May, managing to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.96. She was the top student of her department and served as a nationally award-winning editor in chief of her university’s student newspaper and firmly states that, “Going to college is what you make of it. I know students who went, graduated with honors, and took a job as a minimum wage cashier. They didn’t need college for that.”

[pullquote]I know students who went, graduated with honors, and took a job as a minimum wage cashier. They didn’t need college for that.[/pullquote]

As a very successful student, Andi took advantage of all the resources her university provided her. “Students should know that the degree is somewhat useless by itself. Only combined with hard work is it worth the time and money.”

Which Programs Pay Off

When it comes to lucrative careers, certain programs yield higher job opportunities as well as higher base salaries. A recent survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers gives an idea of the general earning possibilities based on core programs available at most 4-year universities.

Engineering degrees are the top-earners with an average salary of $62,535. Disciplines in this field can vary from civil engineering to electrical and environmental. Computer science graduates are the next in line with $59,977. These are difficult subjects and require all four years to complete. Of course, other subjects such as business, math and sciences, and the humanities all earn respectable salaries, but engineering and computer science remain the highest.

Of course, salaries and career earnings should not be the single goal when pursuing higher education. The experience a student gains, both in terms of life experiences and social benefits are also very valuable and cannot be statistically measured. However, the fact remains that university is a heavy financial investment, and so seeing what one can earn post-graduation is very important step to consider.

Other factors also come into play, such as the school you are attending.