The Importance of a College Education
College education—also known as post-secondary education, tertiary education, or higher education—is a level of education that includes attending college, university, or vocational school. The rate of individuals pursuing higher education around the world has increased significantly over the last several decades—from around 100 million in 2000 to about 220 million today.
Now, college education is almost expected of most students in countries like the United States. But, many people still ask the question, “Is a college education worth it?” It’s an important question, as only about 40% of the global population has received some type of post-secondary or college education. In this article, we’ll look at some of the main reasons why college education is important.
The Benefits of a College Education
Here are some of the main benefits and reasons that show the value of college education:
Development and Growth - College education makes you grow and develop —both personally and intellectually. The main point of pursuing higher education is to further your learning and gain additional knowledge that you probably wouldn’t have acquired otherwise. College is also likely to stretch and improve your critical thinking skills, which can help you better analyze, understand, and consider problems and situations. University-educated people build new knowledge for humankind's progress and growth.
Preparation for Specialized Careers - Many careers—like becoming a doctor, a scientist, a teacher, and more—require a certain level of education and specific skills. If you are looking to pursue similar careers to these, then you almost always need to graduate from college—and often even obtain further education, like a Master’s or Doctoral Degree. Going to college is the only way to become qualified for these types of jobs and prepare you for a career in a certain specialized field.
Increased Earnings - The higher the qualification the higher the wages. While it’s not true for each specific case, studies show that college graduates consistently outearn individuals without a degree. Over the course of a lifetime, a Bachelor’s Degree is worth $2.8 million on average—75% more than that earned by a high school graduate.
Economic Stability - Another one of the most important benefits of a college education is that it is more likely to result in economic stability for the individual and their family. Similar to increased earnings, this means that college graduates are more likely to be employed and financially stable than those without a degree—24% more likely. Education is also one of the most useful tools to prevent poverty, with the incidence of poverty being 3.5 times lower among college graduates.
At Tiyara, we know the importance of education as we seek to provide educational opportunities that will make life-changing differences for under-resourced young women and men in India, equipping them to pursue professional and skilled employment. Some of these young women and men have had their lives changed by crime, others’ families are constantly struggling to get by, and some are from indigenous populations that are often discriminated against.
You can help make a difference by providing technology for our students, other education-related costs, or by putting a deserving young person through college!