A college degree can be a catalyst to a new, exciting and challenging lifestyle. The advantages of a college degree are a good education and the ways and means for gainful employment. A graduating student also has other not-so-evident positive advantages that will assist him throughout his lifetime.
More Job Satisfaction
College graduates enjoy their jobs to a greater degree and find their careers to be more satisfying. According to the 2007 "College Board: Education Pays" report, graduates tend to feel a greater sense of satisfaction in their careers than those without a degree.
Also, unemployment rates are lower for those with degrees. College teaches students to be resourceful so they are better able to transfer their knowledge and skills to other types of jobs more easily than others.
Higher Wages
College graduates make a better living than the rest of the population. In the 2008 U.S. Census, a survey done of adults 25 or older who worked full-time found that on the average, high school graduates made almost $34,000 per year, while four-year college graduates averaged between $55,500 and $56,000 per year. The difference in yearly income between the two groups would pay for a college education at a reasonably priced school within one to two years. Think College Early, a program by the U.S. Department of Education, states that the average college student spends $8,655 per year on tuition, room, and board, as of January 2011.
Better Health
The 2007 "College Board: Education Pays" report found that college graduates enjoy better health than those who are less educated. They are ill less often because they are more likely to be nonsmokers and generally make better and healthier lifestyle choices.
The report also states that graduates have more benefits including health insurance, providing more access to physicals and preventative medicine. In general, graduates are more likely to exercise and take better care of themselves, resulting in reduced medical problems and increased longevity.
More Educated Children
The 1992 Cohn and Geske Report states that children of college graduates are better prepared by their more educated mothers to start school at a young age and are more likely to attend college after high school graduation. College-educated parents are financially more stable and better able to afford to send their children to post-secondary schools. The parents personally understand the importance of education, are familiar with the college process and are more likely to provide home environments that encourage college attendance.
Personal Satisfaction
According to a 2002 report by the Institute of Higher Education Policy, college graduates have the satisfaction of knowing that the four or more years of additional education will improve their quality of life. This education will give them more self-confidence, increased savings, more hobbies and leisure activities and improved social status in their communities. This willingness to pay the price to get ahead both in time and money will provide a basis for a much more enriched and rewarding lifestyle.
