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What is a College Degree Worth?

Many people confuse the relationship between a college major and the job market; people tend to equate college majors with jobs and have a hard time seeing a clear pathway to their future. When deciding on what college program to pursue there are a lot of variables to look into. One of the variables to consider is what the return on investment is for a potential program. Third Way has recently released its own analysis of how long it takes students to recoup college costs. The study found that 10 percent of bachelor's-degree programs and 21 percent of associate-degree programs offer no return on investment (www.chronicle.com).



It is important to keep in mind that when looking at these projections there are only two years of earnings data; it is hard to get good data with only two years being accounted for. Many studies show that programs that lead directly to employment end up on the list of high return. Some of these programs include engineering and health related fields. Programs that are less practical will likely lead to “no economics return on investment.”


One might think that certificate programs will have a quick payoff, however it has been found that less than half do. Some of the best programs for a quick payoff are criminal justice, nursing, precision metalworking, and transportation, while programs in cosmetology, culinary arts and veterinary technology are among the worst (www.chronicle.com).


In order to best prepare students for a successful future it would be best for students to focus on the relevant knowledge and useful skills they would learn in the discipline they chose. We, as a society, need to reexamine how we see value in life. Right now it seems that a valuable life is on that makes you money (www.chronicle.com). Money is nice but living a happy life is much more rewarding in the long run. If you want help in navigating your future feel free to reach out at info@atozeducationalconsulting.com or 612.735.1261.

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