Opinion: Why Does College Matter So Much for Professional Advancement and Financial Security?

With a significant pay gap between college graduates and non-college graduates, no one can deny the importance of college, as it is undoubtedly the most traditional and safest route to a well-paying job. Unfortunately, however, this safe route will take a minimum of three to four years of your life and a large chunk of money, which is likely to leave you paying off debt for years to come. Luckily, in this modern age of the internet, there are thousands of different and cheaper mediums to attain the knowledge necessary to function at high level jobs. Sadly, however, in our society where credentials are valued more than actual knowledge, this is not an option if you truly want to compete with others in certain job markets. College can be a great experience for many people, but due to an abundance of factors, the system in place today often alienates those for whom college is not an ideal option.

While college is the clear and obvious choice for some people, for other people, it may not be the ideal choice. Some people may not be cut out for college, not specifically because of intelligence, rather, because they are simply in situations where finances take precedent over education. Imagine the scenario where a child from an inner-city went to underfunded, under-staffed, and overall just poor public schools throughout his life. By the time he is in 11th grade he may have poorer math skills than the average American student, and unless Joe Clark (from the film, Lean on Me with Morgan Freeman) himself comes to teach him, there will be little to no chance that college will be an option for this child. And, without achieving a BA, this child will ultimately not be offered the same professional opportunities as others born into more fortunate circumstances. Alas, the bigger question lingers: Why should a child who was simply unlucky enough to be born in an unfortunate neighborhood be relegated to low paying minimum wage jobs for the rest of his life? There have to be more accessible alternatives professional opportunities. where everyone, regardless of background, has an equal chance of advancing in society.

Aside from the extreme, but all too common, scenario discussed, there are other scenarios for different people, where college may not be the ideal option. The entire formal education system does not work for everyone, and the idea of spending another four years in school taking tests can be a very daunting idea to some high school seniors. As a society we have to move away from the idea that college is the only real option if you want any sort of financial security. Because of the internet, we are blessed with so many different outlets to attain the same knowledge that students learn in college. In order to equalize the playing field for everyone, we should accept that there are many different routes, other than college, that people can take and still end up in the same, financially secure, destination.