College tends to be a time full of discovery. It can signal the first time moving out or even living in a new place. College also provides the chance to discover your interests, within the classroom and beyond the classroom walls. Regardless of what you choose to major in, you’ll have to take some general education courses and electives.
Many jobs require a college degree. Depending on the level of the position you wish to obtain, you may need a certain type of degree. Entry-level positions will often require either an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. If you want to specialize in a certain field and work in a senior position, then you may need to consider higher-level degrees, like a master’s or doctoral degree.
There have been many studies that have shown how a college degree impacts one’s earnings. To put it simply, you are more likely to earn more money if you have a degree. In fact, over a lifetime, students with a college degree stand to earn $500,000 more than those without one. That figure has the potential to increase as the level of your degree advances, too.
College graduates have lower unemployment rates than those without a degree. Forbes shares that overall, unemployment rates decrease with increasing education. For example, per the given article, in the United States, the overall unemployment rate was 6.7% in November 2020, but for those with a bachelor’s degree and over 25 years old, it was 4.1%.
86% of college graduates reported that their current job is a stepping stone in their overall career, whereas only 57% of high school graduates said the same. On the flip side, there are more high school students who reported their reason for having a job to be “to get by,” compared to bachelor’s degree holders who are likely to be building towards a career.