Delcid1

Marc Delcid

Canek-Pena Vargas

Political Studies

Block 1

10 October 2017

“Is college worth it?”

In the year 2013, only 65.9% of high school graduates went to college. Today, many

young people ask themselves if college is really worth it. In ​The Book of Isaias​, many Kingsbury

High School students asked themselves the same question. Many of the students but most did not

bother to ask what the benefits of college are. Though it may involve many challenges, college is

a highly recommended option after high school. College can give a student the opportunity to

earn more money in their lifetime. In addition, they will also be receiving an opportunity towards

a higher education.

In ​The Book of Isaias,​ the author, Daniel Connolly, also asks the question of if college is

worth it. Connolly gives the reader statistical evidence on the economic advantages of going to

college. Connolly states “workers with a bachelor’s degree would, on average, earn more over

the course of their lifetime than those with only a high-school diploma- to be precise; $1 million

more. The lifetime advantage for those with an associate’s degree was smaller, $325,00” (162).

This evidence supports my thesis because Mr. Connolly carefully explains what the benefits of a

college education are [in numbers]. As you can see a college education is more likely to earn a

college graduate over $1 million in their lifetime.

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The opportunity benefits of going to college far outweighs the opportunity cost of not

going to college. For example, we can look at how much a college graduate can earn in their

lifetime. If they have a PhD degree compared to having an associate’s degree. According to our

research presentation, a PhD can take about 6-7 years whereas an Associate’s degree can take

about 2 years. A college graduate with a doctorate (PhD) can earn about $103,577 per year,

according to website called PayScale. If we multiply the yearly earnings of a PhD by 41 years

(retirement age), we sum up to at least $4.2 million earned in a lifetime. I was able to get the age

of 41 years by subtracting 65 (average retirement age) minus 18 (age in which you will be out of

high school). By subtracting these two numbers, we get 47. Then we subtract 47 years minus 6

years (average amount of time it will take to earn a PhD degree). By subtracting these two

numbers, we get 41 years.

Now, a college graduate with an associate’s degree can earn about $26,913 year-round,

according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If we multiply the yearly earnings of an associate’s

degree by 45 years (retirement age), we sum up to at $1.2 million earned in a lifetime. There’s

already a huge margin difference. In the research that my group and I conducted, it was

concluded that a student with a college education [at a UC] can earn them over $4.2, in their

lifetime. Although you might not find a job straight out of college, having a college education

and having a college degree in hand can become really useful in the long run. Although college

is a good option after high school, many students have different perspectives on college

education.
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Although college is a good option for most, some may argue that “A college degree gives

you the ability, but not the actual job” (Conolly 55). Isaias brings up a good point because he’s

saying that a college education can give somebody a better opportunity of a getting a job [after

college]. But most of the time, a college education can only grant you the ability to work in

certain field, but not actually land you a job in that field. However, receiving a college education

will guarantee a college student an opportunity to earn more money in their lifetime.

Many students have different perspectives and thoughts about the benefits of a college

education. Although college may include many challenges, it is a really good option [after high

school] because it can give a student the opportunity to earn more money in their lifetime.

Students will also be receiving a higher education level. I personally think that a college degree

is important, but it can also be a useful tool too. My thesis gives a reader incentive about having

a college education. A college degree can offer anybody a chance at a much brighter and

successful future.
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Works Cited

“Benchmark 2 Group 3.” ​Google Slides​, Google,

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kONtUIKCtC590jQLrJlGQZeAvrImpyUfCiu4rmAGUx
A/edit
Connolly, Daniel. ​The Book of Isaias: a Child of Hispanic Immigrants Seeks His Own America​.

St. Martin's Press, 2016.

Norris, Floyd. “Fewer U.S. Graduates Opt for College After High School.” ​The New York Times​,

The New York Times, 2014,

www.nytimes.com/2014/04/26/business/fewer-us-high-school-graduates-opt-for-college.ht