Colleges are expensive. They cost a lot of money. But what most people don’t know is that they can actually be a great investment, too. In this article, we’ll look at ten facts about colleges that might change the way you think about higher education as an investment and will make it easier to justify the expense, even if you’re not sure if college is right for you. Yorktech webadvisor is a popular admissions advisor.
In the first place, most people go to college. If you add up everybody who goes to community college, open university, a local college and a state college, you’ll find that the number of students in America is about 20 million. That’s a lot of people! The student-teacher ratio is smaller than ever before. In fact, it’s at an all-time low! Many colleges have fewer than 20 students per professor! It makes it easier for everyone to learn and grow academically and personally. Not only that but the environment feels more personal when there are less than twenty people in your class.
Ten Facts About Colleges That Will Make You Think Twice :
1. College is for everyone.
Just about any family can afford to pay for college. The cost of an education does not reflect the ability, financial means, education or intelligence of the student. The reason you can go to college is because you want to learn – and your parents are willing to pay for it, whether that’s $20,000 in-state or $50,000 out-of-state.
2. College will make you smarter.
The more years of education you get, the more likely you are to earn higher income later. And the more likely you are to be employed. People who have been throughout their school career are usually better-prepared than those that haven’t. That’s why so many job openings require a college degree.
3. College is cheaper than ever before.
Because of inflation, college is actually a much better deal now than ever before. Tuition has increased by 1,120 percent since 1978, but the consumer price index has gone up by 900 percent, 1,120/900 = 1.22 = 122 percent! Even if college costs more than it did in your parents’ day, it’s cheaper today than it was 30 years ago, so you’ll have an easier time paying for yours.
4. People who go to college earn more money than those that don’t.
Research shows that students who have higher incomes as adults are more likely to have attended a four-year college or have graduated. College graduates earn an average of 85% more than those who didn’t finish high school.
5. You can transfer credits to other colleges.
If you graduate from one college with a degree in electrical engineering and want to transfer the credits you earned into another degree program, the university will accept it at face value, provided you complete all of your coursework and meet eligibility requirements. Otherwise, the credits would be denied for various reasons such as repeated coursework/room change policy violations or enrollment in too many different courses during the period of transfer assurance (transferring from one institution to another).
6. Your classes will be more challenging than you think.
College is just as hard as high school, and you’ll find yourself struggling to keep up with the workload. It isn’t until later in your program that you’ll get used to the rigor of the coursework and it will easier to handle the workload. In addition, college professors have much higher expectations than high school teachers and they require a higher standard of performance on tests , papers , etc… As a result, your grades will be lower than they were in high school but that’s normal because at this point everything is harder and more challenging than you think it will be.
7. You’ll get out of it what you put into it.
If you don’t do well, it isn’t because college is hard, it’s because you didn’t try hard enough. If you want to succeed in college, it’s your responsibility to put in the effort and work hard . Enroll in challenging classes and work with your professors to understand the material.
8. You’ll learn more than you think.
People think that college is an extension of high school and that they won’t really learn anything. But you’re wrong – 90 percent of what people say they’ve learned in college or university was learned outside the classroom! In addition, college will challenge your way of thinking, help you understand new concepts and give you opportunities to make new friends with similar interests. You’ll have several opportunities to develop personally and earn a degree.
9. You’ll be better prepared for the job market.
People with a degree will get jobs that pay more than those without one, and you can use your degree in a variety of professions. College is a great start to career, and going to college increases your chances of being employed, earning higher wages and receiving higher salaries.
10. Your four-year degree is worth more now than ever before.
In 2012, the average bachelor’s degree cost $23,400 – the same as it did in 1960! And in 2014? The average was $29,000! That’s not just because of inflation – a four-year college education has become an even better investment than it was before.
