Over the years, college has gradually begun to be considered a necessary milestone in the typical American citizen’s life. Due to this increase in college degrees, they have become a prerequisite for many high-paying jobs. However, many Americans take different routes in life that do not include a college degree; some of them are successful nonetheless, while some are unemployed or working low paying jobs. Taking these observations into account, many people ask themselves, is a college education worth it? I say, it’s debatable.  

 A college degree: produced by a number of years studying in the field of your desire, learning from very bright minds. Attending college has become a sort of cultural norm in our society, and like everything else, it has its pros and cons. Acquiring a college degree can make life much easier; people who have a college degree typically have better employment opportunities, make higher salaries, and have better health benefits. College also provides students with numerous networking opportunities and allows them to form some life-long relationships. Statistics show that, over a lifetime, college graduates make $570,000 more than the average high school graduate. Senior Andrea Shealey commented, “College is important, not only in preparing students academically for the intellectual demands of their future careers, but also helps them to learn to live on their own and solve other adult issues.” This can be proven true as many people venture into adulthood for the first time at the start of college and, consequently, mature greatly.

 A college degree: a measly piece of paper resulting from of a waste of time and inclination of debt. For various reasons, many people chose not to attend college. Though this can entail poor employment opportunities and health benefits, that is not always the case. Many successful entrepreneurs have built empires without a degree, such as Coco Chanel, Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, and Walt Disney. As of May 2018, about 44 million Americans owed over $1.5 trillion in student debt; this is crippling to many college grads. Even after paying such a large sum for a degree, it is very common that college graduates do not actually hold jobs in their field. While many employers require or prefer a college degree, the new wave of next generation employers are taking experience and skills into heavier account. Some of these practical skills sought by employers cannot be taught effectively in college but can be acquired through trade school and work experience. The feelings of many students who fall on the other side of the spectrum can be summed up in Sam Williamson’s statement; “I feel like it’s a waste of time, especially if you don’t have a full ride scholarship…You just have to think about the time you put in and the hard work you did,  just to be in debt in the long run. When I say college, I mean universities- these trade schools on the other hand? They are being overlooked because students are pressured to go straight into a university.”

 Does the chance at higher paying jobs with better benefits outweigh student loan debts? Or is college a waste of time and money, when you could be developing a trade? To sum up,is college education worth it? It’s debatable.