Rising Cost of Higher Education: Is College for Everyone?

By: Songine’ Clarke

You could probably go around a room and the answers will be split: half the people would probably believe that college isn’t for everyone, while the remainder would think differently. However, there’s actually a recent study that says that college isn’t for everyone. "Pathways to Prosperity," a study conducted by Harvard University, drives this point home with its findings. Furthermore, the results of the study show that most jobs don’t even require a bachelor’s degree for employment: 36 percent have a high-school degree or less, 33 percent have some college, and 30 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Additionally, college students who ranked among the bottom quarter of their high-school classes, 80 percent of them will probably never get a bachelor’s degree or even a two-year associate’s degree, according to the U.S. Department of Education. So, what’s the alternative for them?  


Then there’s the issue of paying for college for those who choose to attend, but as I stated before, college degrees aren’t necessary for a number of jobs. “Of the 30 jobs projected to grow at the fastest rate over the next decade in the United States, only seven typically require a bachelor’s degree,” according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A fascinating statistic, right? Going to a four-year university, a community college, or just getting a job seemed to always be an option for upcoming high-school graduates. For some students, the reality is that it may not be an option anymore.