In high school, there is a lot that students have to think about regarding their future after graduation. One of those things is the thought of going to college. Although there are tons of decisions to be made regarding college such as what the right school would be and the student’s major, the most important decision is whether or not the student will go to college at all. This choice isn’t one where one side is objectively better than the other, as both options have pros and cons. So, this article will be going over the benefits and the drawbacks of attending college so that every student can make the best decision for themselves. 

The Pros Of Going To College

To begin, college has plenty of benefits. First, going to college and getting a degree is beneficial because it can help students get better-earning jobs in the future. This may seem obvious at first, but it is a crucial reason why many opt to go to college. In the year 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, the median earnings of a person with a bachelor’s degree were 55% higher than the median earnings of someone with only a high school diploma. As the numbers show, going to college can lead to making more money, which is beneficial far beyond the college years. 

In addition, college can offer more than just a bigger paycheck. Graduating college can help increase job security compared to only graduating high school, which in turn means college graduates are less likely to become unemployed. This was shown to be the case during the COVID-19 pandemic when unemployment rates skyrocketed. People with bachelor’s degrees did not struggle as much to maintain employment during COVID-19 compared to those with only high school diplomas, with almost 72% of those with bachelor’s degrees retaining their jobs during the pandemic compared to only 52% of those with only high school education (San Francisco Fed).

Also, college is important because it can help an individual gain a sense of independence to help them get ready for life as an adult. After all, there is more to college than simply the education aspect of it. By going to college, a student can gain essential skills such as managing time and money along with being more responsible for themselves. 

The Cons Of Going To College

Although going to college can be beneficial in the long run career-wise, there are still downsides to going to college. Out of all those downsides, the most obvious one is the fact that college is expensive. In a public in-state institution, the average cost for college for a student that lives on campus is $26,027 per year, which amounts to a total of $104,108 dollars over the entirety of the 4 years the student will spend at college (Education Data Initiative). Of course, that is only for public in-state universities, meaning that if a student wishes to attend an out-of-state public school or a private university, the cost is only going to go up.

Although colleges can help people in getting high-income jobs, going to a 4-year college doesn’t fully guarantee a job that pays well, and there are plenty of alternatives to getting a bachelor’s degree at a university such as going to community college or trade school that are less expensive and can still help in getting a good job. 

Although students can become more responsible and independent during college, that alone comes with many challenges. In college, a huge issue that can come up is stress, which can originate from worrying about the workload or student loan debt amongst many other factors. According to the American Institute of Stress, a staggering 8 out of 10 college students experience stress frequently. For the vast majority of college students, stress is simply a part of the experience, and it isn’t a rare occurrence. 

But How Does This All Apply To iUP Students?

From a certain perspective, the decisions relating to college can seem like too much for some to handle. High schoolers already have to worry about a ton of things, so the additional pressure that comes with thinking about college can hit hard. However, just by going to iUP, the thought of college is much less stressful, especially since this school is meant to prepare students for university life (after all, it is in the school’s name). In fact, going to iUP can even be described as being like a free trial to the college experience, as a result of this school doing things the college way rather than the typical brick and mortar high school way. From having a more flexible schedule to even doing assignments on Canvas daily, there are plenty of similarities to iUniversity Prep and college that iUP students experience every day, and for students here at this school, those similarities should be accounted for.

Conclusion

College is a difficult thing to think about sometimes, especially considering how much it can affect one’s life going forward. Of course, there are plenty of benefits to attending college, such as an increased chance of getting high-paying jobs and a lower chance of facing unemployment. However, with how expensive college is in America along with the fact that getting a bachelor’s degree isn’t the only way to secure a high-income job, college simply isn’t for everyone. Therefore, it is ultimately up to the student’s best interest in order to make the choice that is most beneficial to them and their future.

Sources:

Annual Earnings By Educational Attainment. National Center for Education Statistics. (n.d.). https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cba/annual-earnings 

Daly, M., Buckman, S., & Seitelman, L. (2020, June 29). The Unequal Impact of COVID-19: Why Education Matters. San Francisco Fed. https://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/publications/economic-letter/2020/june/unequal-impact-covid-19-why-education-matters/ 

Hanson, M. (2023, September 6). Average cost of college [2023]: Yearly tuition + expenses. Education Data Initiative. https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college#:~:text=The%20average%20cost%20of%20attendance,or%20%24223%2C360%20over%204%20years. 

Stress In College Students. The American Institute of Stress. (2022, November 29). https://www.stress.org/college-students#:~:text=Anxiety%20is%20first%20at%2023.5,experience%20frequent%20bouts%20of%20stress.