In the society that we live, having a college degree is very important. A long time ago one could get by with taking a few courses in a specialized area and move up the ladder by way of on-the-job experience. In the past, many years of service made one untouchable, but that does not hold true today. In fact, most businesses and practically all government agencies require at least a bachelors degree for an entry level position.

The cost of college tuition continues to rise and as a result we are asking ourselves whether it is really worth spending years working towards a degree when the same time could be spent earning money.

A few years ago the U.S. Census Bureau report showed the following:

People who had an Associate’s Degree earned nearly 25% more than those with just a high school diploma; over ten years, that is a total of $80,000. If one was to continue to study, and had a bachelor’s degree, his earnings would be over $600,000 more than a high-school educated worker. Professionals with degrees as high as MBAs, PhDs, JDs, and MDs earned even more. (Degrees to Succeed)

For middle class students the talk of equality means that they will continue to occupy positions of respect and relative autonomy.

Women received 133 bachelor’s degrees for every 100 received by men in 1999-2000. It is projected that from 2009-2010, women will receive 142 bachelor’s degrees for every 100 for men.

On the Road to Success--Better Educated Find Jobs Faster

When an employer is interviewing for a job, there are a series of questions the job candidate is usually asked. One of the most important qualifications is the level of education he has. If there are two perspective candidates with equal qualifications but one has his degree and the other does not, the employers, when choosing between a degree-holder and a high-school graduate, will usually choose the college graduate without hesitation.

om this that there is value in a higher education. As in the example above, one would be cheating himself by not trying to move up the ladder. The prerequisite to a degree is setting aside time and possibly denying yourself some of the material things in life. The value of a higher education will give you all the things you set aside in order to obtain those higher credentials.

In an article written by Mary Soliday, she says, “The bachelors degree determines whether individuals will perform physical or mental labor, and it also determines the amount of autonomy they will have over their work” (Soliday 199, 731). In other words, the middle classes are seeking to maintain their positions while the working classes are increasingly threatening the right of the middle class to those positions, resulting in heightened tensions. Virtanen, Beth L., (2003)

The idea of the community college baccalaureate is an idea whose time has come. It is recognized by experts who address cutting-edge issues in technology management, business, teacher education and other professional and career development areas. The American Association of Community Colleges has recognized this new type of baccalaureate as an emerging development in higher education Garmon (2003).

Women Outpacing Men in College Degrees

Life without a college degree can be good for someone who seems to be comfortable living from pay check to pay check. Some are just content with the most basic necessitie

Some topics in this essay:
Kirchhoff USA, College Degrees, Degree Divide, Serious Person, Community Colleges, Money Blacks, Faster January, Mary Soliday, Holding Job, Life January, college degree, bachelors degree, middle class, bachelor’s degrees, value education, bachelor’s degree, piece paper, white earn money, census bureau, community college, paper mean, piece paper mean, college degree women, community college baccalaureate, life college degree,