College: Is it Still a

Good Idea?
JOSHUA GARZA

Student Loans
75% percent of students from non profit universities
graduate with student loans.
88% of students from for-profit universities graduate
with student loans as well.
The average student debt amount for 2012 was
$29,400, representing a 25% increase from 23,450 in
2008.

College Debt

Student debt as a whole has just topped 1

trillion dollar, and is rising with each passing
day.

Between 2003 and 2012 the number of 25year-olds with student debt
increased from 25% to 43%, and their avera
ge loan balance was $20,326 in 2012--a 91%
increase since 2003.
10% of students graduate with over $40,000
in debt and about 1% have $100,000 in
debt.

Is the Debt Worth it?

Americans with 4 year college

degrees make on average 98%
more an hour than the average
American without a degree.

According to Mr. Autor in the

journal Science, the true cost
of a college degree is generally
negative 500,000 dollars. You
stand to lose half a million
dollars when you elect to not
go to college.

In 2012, the median salary for

a college graduate between
ages 25 and 32 was $46,900.
For those with only a high
school diploma, it was about
$30,000.

Job Prospects

In Apr. 2013 the unemployment rate for college graduates over

25 years old was 3.6% compared to 7.5% forhigh school
graduates.

Based on economy and job projections calculated by Georgetown

University, in 2018, approximately 63% of jobs will require some
college education or a degree.

Job Benefits

70% of college graduates had access to employer-provided

health insurance compared to 50% of high school graduates in
2008.

70% of college graduates 25 years old and older had access to

retirement plans in 2008 compared to 65% of associate's degree
holders, 55% of high school graduates, and 30% of people who
did not complete high school.

Conclusion

Yes, College is still very much

worth it.

Between wage increases,

health benefits, and lifetime
earning differences a college
degree has still proven its
worth over time.

Works Cited

http://college-education.procon.org

http://nytimes.com/2014/05/27/upshot/is-college-worth-it-clearly
-new-data-say.html
huffpost.com/us/entry/6057262

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2013/05/09/why-acollege-degree-no-longer-guarantees-success