Huff Post Article

formerlyGDaisy09 · September 2014

This relates to some of our discussions about the value of college.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/03/college-worth-it_n_5754784.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000015

hoffse · September 2014

Great article - and it's true that wages/earning potential for college graduates still outstrip the cost, which makes it worthwhile.

brij2006 · September 2014

It's definitely an interesting article, but I wonder the same as April. How would this look if they compared a bachelors degree to those who received a certificate or trade school degree (usually associates)?

brij2006 · September 2014

AprilH81 said:

brij2006 said:

It's definitely an interesting article, but I wonder the same as April. How would this look if they compared a bachelors degree to those who received a certificate or trade school degree (usually associates)?

I know that people who are plumbers/electricians/contractors can make some damn good money if they are decent workers. Some of them who own their own business may have a business degree, but I would think it would be less common...

Exactly. Yeah, if you only compare bachelors degrees to a High School diploma, of course it's going to come out that they make more over their lifetime. That's a given. However, there are so many other options out there than a bachelors degree that can give some great income opportunity.

smbenevides1989 · September 2014

AprilH81 said:

brij2006 said:

It's definitely an interesting article, but I wonder the same as April. How would this look if they compared a bachelors degree to those who received a certificate or trade school degree (usually associates)?

I know that people who are plumbers/electricians/contractors can make some damn good money if they are decent workers. Some of them who own their own business may have a business degree, but I would think it would be less common...

My dad runs his own Masonry business without a high school diploma (heck, he didn't even complete 4th grade - common in other countries where schooling wasn't important). He makes a hell of a lot more money than DH and I alone - and I have an associates, where DH doesn't have a high school diploma.

maple2 · September 2014

The way they present the data seems a bit misleading to me. The first graph makes the point that people with bachelors degrees earn more over their lifetimes, and the second shows how long it takes to recoup the cost of college. It seems like both pieces of information should be combined to provide a more accurate picture of the net benefits of college. For example, if you earn $300,000 more over your lifetime but you have to pay $100,000 for that degree then you only net $200,000 more. It's still a lot more, but not as much as the first graph makes it seem.

Here's another article advocating for more support for 2-year degree programs for those of you who are talking about that. http://www.salon.com/2014/09/03/robert_reich_college_is_a_ludicrous_waste_of_money_partner/

formerlyGDaisy09 · September 2014

I think it also depends on the trade. My uncle is a Land Surveyor, he went to 2-year trade school 40 years ago and makes good money.

however for his younger collegues, with new regulations, after that 2-year trade school it takes them a number of years (I think he said nearly a decade when H was considering that as a career path) to get to the point he was at just a year or two out of school.

I think we as a culture are beginning to look for increased credentialing from tradesmen, while that **might** be impacting the quality of work it is certainly impacting the power of a 2-year degree.

and yes the Huff post article is definitely flawed, but it is an argument for a traditional college for those students who are not good candidates for trade school (meaning students not interested in careers that can be obtained through a 2-year program).

Wulfgar · September 2014

@Maple2, the article said that the 300k was after taking off the average cost of the education.

I think this article for the average person would be confusing since most other ones show the average lifetime earnings for people at different levels and how much more people with higher degrees make over time.

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