Is college still worth it?
Photo from hmm360’s morgueFile
We are told about the successful dropout stories of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs; or even J. K. Rowling who never attended college. These people are implying that you don’t really need to graduate from college to be a billionaire.
So what is happening in college nowadays? Since academics is not a priority, students during the first two years of their college education learned very little, close to nothing. Based on the book Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses, where students’ Collegiate Learning Assessment results were analyzed, 45% of students did not learned significantly. And after completing 4 years of college, 36% learned very little.
The research also shows that students study less compared to students a decade ago, with 50% decline in study time. But the average GPA of students is 3.2, quite high for a minimized effort. It seems that the academe lowered their expectations on the modern day students.
Professors are really researchers, not teachers. They don’t get rewarded for teaching well, but rather they get promotion or pay increase by having more papers published. In turn, they prioritize searching for new information and the teaching suffers.
We all know that college education costs a fortune. Students end up working for the first 5 years or more just to pay their debt. There are various courses offered that are extra hard to hand our money. I’m talking about studying the following:
- David Beckham studies – Staffordshire University, UK
- The Phallus – Occidental College
- Surfing Studies – Plymouth / Melbourne
- Star Trek – Georgetown University in Washington
- Golf Management – University of Birmingham / Florida Gulf Coast University
- The Science of Harry Potter – Frostberg State University
- UFOlogy – Western Nevada College
- Maple Syrup: The Real Thing – Alfred University
- Underwater Basket Weaving – University of California, San Diego
-
The Twilight Saga – University of Alabama
To answer my own question, yes I believe college education is still worth it. I’m a college graduate, and there are wonderful and admirable things that I’ve learned and acquired in college. At the very least, college is a great place to meet people. I maintained good relationships, had a smoother interpersonal interaction, improved mindset, better outlook in life, and a more defined personality. These will develop regardless of what field you are majoring in.
And here’s the truth from the words of Time Magazine’s Vartan Gregorian,
..of the current Fortune 500 CEOs, some 99% have a college degree. Similarly, of the Forbes 400 richest people in America, 81% hold postsecondary degrees… the fact remains that people with college degrees still earn much more — and are more likely to have a job to begin with — than people without.
However, it is worth mentioning that the value of money put in college is diminished due to the receding quality of education.
Do you think college is still a good investment nowadays?
More Moments for you:
Comment for Same-Sex Schools Study
Offense Defense: Your Chosen Side?
Unnecessary Technological Upgrades
Report: First two years of college show small gains; USA Today
The Myth of the Millionaire College Dropout; Time
Top 10 Most Ridiculous College Courses; Top 10 Useless College Degrees & Classes; Make the list
Moment Matters 
This is very interesting! Having just finished my bachelors in exercise science (last may) and am contemplating a masters in exercise physiology, BUT is it worth going in to more debt?? I do not know!!! I even graduated with a 4.0 GPA (yes I almost died accomplishing that) but even with that grad schools are not offering big scholarships…and thus my dilemma…
If you figure out the answer, please let me know!!
Interesting post! High tuition costs for an MA degree in the US and practically no scholarship money are the reasons why I am pursuing a Master’s degree overseas, where I am provided with health care, living expenses, and a scholarship. For people seeking to broaden their horizons and get a good education that will not put you in debt, graduate school in a foreign country may be a good option.
Yes, as I have, but then the degree recognition is not the same, unless it is from Oxford.
That’s a good point. The lack of degree recognition further diminishes the returns on the cost of college education.
I’ve never discriminated against hiring someone because they have a college degree. Having a life education is more important. My daughter in law has a JD from Cornell, and decided she wanted to teach first grade. Well, she had to go back to school, and get a other degree to teach. A degree is good if you have a purpose for it, college is where we send our children because there is no place else for them to go in life at that time. High School is useless, even when I went I recall my senior year was a waste of time. Stamford did research, and found out that what we learn in college could be learned in 18 months. Well that would kill their economy wouldn’t it. Like the fortune cookie says: Experience is good if not bought to dear – The next economic meltdown is going to be in student loan defaults.
Right on the money, fellow grandfather (the sky is the limit) the university of hard knocks is the one that counts the most.
Wow… what a great post. You raise some very interesting points of discussion!
I really enjoyed the college article as I wouldn’t want my high school students to believe that college is not needed to be successful in life. Sure, it’s too expensive, sure there is a lot of crap studies as you signal so aptly, but in the end, your Human Resource Dpt is going to take a long (or rather very short) look at your resume and if they don’t see a good college name, most likely they’ll throw it in the trash.
A college name is not needed and it is arrogance over the “brand” that is causing the problems. If a school feels their “brand” holds value they will charge for it which doesn’t help anyone with actual talent, it helps those with money.
If a resume is full of good work experience, understanding and motivation then the name of the college should not matter. Otherwise someone may as well do “Star Trek” at college and obtain a minimal pass only to gain the name to get them the job.
It’s elitist and does not show off the best of the best – its shows off the most arrogant of people who assume because they paid a lot of money (or their parents did) that they are intelligent.
I enjoyed this post, it was a good read. I believe that college can be important, but I also believe that learning through experience is the best tool. Here’s my thinking; If a 40 yr old man has worked in the same industry for 20 yrs and knows the business through and through, he should get to experience the next teir and become a manager or even promoted even higher, instead of a 20 something kid fresh out of college who hasn’t been in the indsutry as long who just walks in and gets offered the highest position. Sure the college kid has the degree, but he hasn’t been in the industry, he doesnt know nearly half of what the 40 yr old does about what works, what doesmt, etc… The 40 yr old has more then experience to get the top dog position, he’s paid his dues and deserves a break for working so hard.
While having a degree is great, those who have one and are fresh out of college should be made to pay their dues too. I have seen more college kids ruin a company because although they have a degree they dont understand what makes the business flow smoothly. Put the college kid through the mill before giving him the prize.
Experience over college I believe is better then college over experience.
That’s just my two sense. 🙂
I studied Psychology in college and dropped out two years ago, and I work as a copywriter and I could not be happier.
I feel that people these days are going to college for all the wrong reasons. Now, there’s a lot of gray areas in my statement, but in Malaysia, everyone takes up a course with reasons being “Its a job that will secure my dream of owning a Ferrari” or just heading out for jobs where its high in demand. I know it isn’t the same for everyone, but then again, if it weren’t for this insane overachievers, who would be the one issuing out or medication and doing our taxes?
I miss listening to people talking about going to college because they had that unconventional dream that they wanted to pursue. Or simply nourish that talent they had. I went to college studying Psychology to compromise with my parents as they intended for me to go either law school or an accounting institution. Eventually, I dropped out…:(
If you have a lot of money that you can lose if things do go as planned…then college is a good investment.
If you don’t have a lot of money and if things may not go as planned….I would start trying to think like Mark Zuckerberg :)…
Considering that I can’t for the life of me seem to make enough money to pay for my student loans, I vote no. Not worth it. Looking back, learning a trade would have been a much smarter move for the time/money investment. Although it’s a tough trade-off because college still teaches all the things you don’t learn in the classroom, but through the entire experience as a whole… good head scratcher!
I find that some of the courses being offered are an attempt by many to get the youth into college even if they are not necessarily suited to academia. I think this is possibly due to the generalisation that states that all should go to college/university. Here in the UK I do not think this is true at all and actually our vocational, internship traditions in industry have disappeared as we have trained up so many academics and too few trained practitioners.
University can be hugely rewarding, but only if you are there for a point, to learn something you have a passion for, not just get a degree for the sake of having one. On the other hand parents should be prepared with alternatives if their child’s character does not match up with an academic mind or lifestyle. There is no shame in working and learning on the job if its what you are good at and it is people like J.K. Rowling and Zuckerburg that are proving exactly that – would a university degree have added anything to their talents – possibly, but ultimately it wasn’t necessary.
Your article is successfully comprehensive and I love your sophisticated, yet playful way of exploring the subject. It seems like the value of education correlates with the student’s intention. Thanks for writing this!
This topic is near and dear to my heart. I think college education was important for me as a life experience, and I took a lot away from it, and I think it prepared me for a number of careers. However, one of the skills I didn’t pick up in college was how to sell myself to potential employers or clients. Things like networking, resume writing, leadership, etc. get completely overlooked at your average liberal arts school. In today’s world, these skills are essential. Fortunately, I learned these in the military (which I joined because I couldn’t find a job).
I’m in college now at age 42 because I can’t a job as a check out girl ( the girl part may be the problem – I’m way past that). I really enjoy college, for it’s own sake, but it is disconcerting to realize that my life, apparently, of raising and home schooling five children (2 are now in college, and another takes classes at my college) is apparently of no value to the world. I have “done” nothing. A piece of paper that is worth less and less as the standards relax to accommodate everyone (we mustn’t disturb anyone’s self esteem after all) is the very first thing anyone wants to know about you.
Thanks for stopping by my bog! Hope you enjoyed it. You have some good points here, i’ll be back to check your blog out again.
education matters, quality matters. thank you! i loved your point!!
Excellent post. Whilst not everyone who is successful has a College Degree most people do. The general exception to this is the IT field where very few degrees are actually relevant to the work involved and hence taken less seriously than other professions. Even so, there is still a pretty solid glass ceiling that is very challenging to break through if you don’t have some form of tertiary qualification. I speak from experience – being a university dropout myself – as I cracked that ceiling and it was a major challenge.
Thank you for checking out my blog today.
Ironically, we are actually looking at the Golf Mgmt program for our son at a PGA appointed school. This post mocks the program. That sucks!
What we see is our son is supposed to walk away minimum with a Bachelors in Business Mgmt to include five years of golf time plus internships. They claim there is a 100% job placement record. With the fastest growing population in America being retirees, golf is a great market to be in. An MBA program is also an option. His education would make him a strong candidate to run a country club, teach golf even compete at an amateur level in the PGA. What do you do? Golf is a passion of his. I say let the kid run, regardless of what the word is. At least he’s not studying Beckham Theories on thermosoccer dynamics.
Seriously though…thanks. Look forward to more great reads!
I’m a dropout. I’ve still to make my first million – but I have ambition. 😉
As long as employers continue to use a college degree not related to the job they are hiring for and the lack thereof as a means of discrimination and place non qualified college graduates over older more experienced employees. Colleges will continue to dumb down the requirements for a degree in order to suit the masses of intellectually challenged students our high schools produce. Besides a college degree doesn’t equate with intelligence: As a few years ago a 24 yr old female college graduate in top physical condition, who had a black belt in karate and was hired as a manager by her employer. Walked with her dog into the mountains in a state park only end up being killed by a sixty year old man in extremely poor health. Go figure!
Just from looking at the interesting class topics posted, those could be beneficial to what you study. I graduated from a college where you can get a bachelor’s degree in popular culture, and graduates received jobs and internships for television (including MTV). Some of those sound like popular culture classes.