Published: September 11, 2009 04:00 pm      

Is it worth it? — 09/14/09

College is a wise investment for students who earn degrees

One in four college students — 25 percent — believes higher education is not worth the price of attendance, a new Zogby-Scoop44 interactive poll shows. But a closer look at that survey shows that whether one believes college is worth the investment depends largely on how well they do in school.

Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of the survey’s 2,530 respondents who have a college degree think the money spent on higher education is worth it. But among respondents who do not have a college degree, fewer than half (44 percent) think higher education is worth the cost. Women with college degrees (65 percent) are slightly more likely than men with degrees (61 percent) to believe higher education costs are worth it in the end.

If you gave college a try but quit before earning a degree, then it is likely that the money you or your parents spent on your college was not a wise investment. After all, college is most worthwhile for students who succeed in the classroom.

And if you just recently earned a college degree but the sagging economy is making it difficult for you to find a job in your field, then you may be questioning whether your college education was worth it.

One thing is certain it costs thousands of dollars more a year to attend college than it did just a few years ago. As a result, many young people are going into debt to pay for college. However, if they are not successful in college and the payments they make on their college loan is a constant reminder of that failure, then it’s little wonder why they person thinks college was a waste of money.

However, statistically, those with college degrees earn many times more during their careers than those with just high school degrees. That makes college an excellent investment for those willing to do the work to be successful.