Pew Research Center conducted a survey that found that 57 percent of Americans think that college fails to provide students with good value for their money, and 75 percent of people believe tuition is too expensive.
Perhaps what’s more interesting, however, are these numbers: 86 percent of Americans with college degrees believe school was a good investment, though only 55 percent believe their education helped prepare them for their job or career.
The New York Times published an opinion piece that stated since 2000, the wage gap between high school and college graduates has become slimmer and slimmer. About 25 percent of college graduates earn no more than the average person who enters the workforce directly after high school.
We sat down with an expert to gain a new perspective, as the overall attitude has been slightly negative and if we’re honest – doubtful. Matthew Mayhew is an administrator in The Ohio State University’s department of educational studies. And like many educators, he had a lot to say when we posed the question, “Is college actually worth it?”
“How do you define the meaning of worth?” Mayhew bounced back. “Society sometimes can confuse worth, value and the means of paying for college. I’m thinking – what are students actually getting out of their college experience?”
As he’s often asked this question due to his professional title, Mayhew has a bit of an anecdotal response. He asks whether or not, as a parent, you would bring your child into a hospital with trained, college-educated staff, or to a hospital where the staff excelled in high school biology. He uses the same kind of example for taxes, knowing that most, if not everyone would rather bring their financial issues to someone with a college degree rather than someone who did well in high school math.
Of course, these are the jobs and career paths that certainly utilize college courses. But what about those that don’t?
58 percent of college students aren't saving - U.S Census
“There are jobs that are high paying that people don’t need a college degree for,” Mayhew says. “I agree with that sentiment. If you want to be a mechanic for 50-60 years, that’s great. But, do you know how to put money away for retirement? Will you ever get to a point in your career when you want to start your own business?”
His claim is that most Americans, if not all, need this basis of knowledge to be successful in whatever field they go into. But in order for school to be worth it for everyone, Mayhew believes the curriculum needs to change.
“Students should be learning how to do things like handle a mortgage or change the oil in your car,” he says. “Classes need to be taught on how to start a business, how to handle your taxes – things people these days still struggle with.”
51 percent of college students received no financial education in school - U.S. Census
All this being said, even the biggest advocate for education can’t disagree that college has become entirely too costly. While Mayhew insists it’s something the country needs to work on, he also adds there are many colleges that are still affordable, you just have to broaden your horizon of schools you’re aware of.
“A lot of people think of college and think of these highly branded schools like Harvard or Berkeley – who have crazy high tuition,” Mayhew says. “But there are a ton of schools out there that try to keep costs lower.”
Despite it all, more Americans are attending college than ever before – nearly 90 percent of millennials who graduate from high school attend college within eight years. However, that doesn’t mean most people can afford it. Perhaps college has become something people believe is an absolute – a second nature step after high school. Perhaps it shouldn’t be.
“People with money think college is a right of passage,” Mayhew says. “But a lot of people in our country shouldn’t think that way – some people really have to decide the pros and cons.”
Yes, there should be a choice. Maybe college isn’t for everyone – some people may equate worth differently. But to many, it’s an important experience. It’s a way for everyone as a society to teach and learn lessons about how to contribute to humanity.
Mallory Arnold is an editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.
