A college degree may be a great investment, but it’s not what everyone wants. You could earn more with a bachelor’s degree than you would without one, and there are many benefits that come along with it. This includes personal and economic benefits as well as skills that will benefit you in the workplace.
Income as a Benefit of Education
The higher your level of education, the higher your income will be. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people who have earned a doctoral degree earn an average of $99,995 per year while people with only a high school diploma earn an average of $33,618 per year. Those with doctoral degrees make almost three times as much as those who only have a high school diploma! Meanwhile, bachelor’s degree holders earn an average of $60,954 per year and master’s degree holders earn an average of $71,236. As you go up in educational level, so does your salary.
Entry and Advancement as a Benefit of Education
Not only do employers prefer to hire candidates with higher education, they routinely refuse to hire applicants whose education level falls below the requirement for their job. In other words, not having a high school diploma makes it difficult to get any job, let alone a white collar job.
More Employment and More Satisfactory Employment are Benefits of Education
One of the benefits of getting a college degree is career improvement. Employers sometimes favor those with a higher level of education for more advanced positions. That’s why many mid-level managers go back to school to complete a master’s degree, if they don’t already have one.
Skills are a Benefit from Education
College provides many different opportunities for growth both academically and experientially. Outside of the classroom, college-goers may develop skills outside of the classroom like art, physical fitness, language, or sports. Inside the classroom, some students may hone their writing, communication, presentation skills, and research skills.
Experimentation and Diversity are a Benefit of Education
One of the personal benefits of college is having the opportunity to experiment with different ideas. A popular joke in pop culture surrounds experimentation in college, but this isn’t true. Students can explore new options and topics without fear – they’re encouraged and required to approach a variety of different viewpoints and thoughts. There’s no downside to exposing yourself to new perspectives as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.
Socializing and Networking are Personal Benefits of Education
Why not have a good time while you’re acquiring your education? One of the personal benefits of college is the opportunity to make friends and network. Students at colleges come into contact with others and form bonds over shared academic work and extracurricular activities. In addition to the purely social aspect, some students make contacts in college that come in handy when looking for jobs or starting new companies.
Good Citizenship as a Benefit of Education
According to reports by the College Board, people with higher levels of education have progressively higher rates of voting, volunteering, and donating blood. These types of actions tend to benefit society as a whole.