What is the True Worth of College?

It’s been a goal of almost every child in America as they work their way up the academic ladder: to proudly gain a college degree and get an admirable, high-paying job. The dream office with the big desk, the window with the perfect view over the city, the six-figure salary, the giant house in the upper-class suburban neighborhood. America has convinced itself that this is the image of true success, and failing to meet these standards leaves a lingering taste of self-disappointment for many. We are told to go out of our way to congregate the best kind of academic recognition we can and ignore the hefty financial burden that comes along with that, being assured that our efforts will ultimately be well-worth the price.

Yet with my graduation date quickly approaching, I am overflowing with anxiety personally knowing where many graduates have ended up after claiming their expensive college degrees. Students will spend a minimum of four years jumping through hoops with an overload of difficult assignments and a mountainous bill that only seems to grow taller. The expected reward is to get your foot in the door of a company with promising benefits and plenty of room to climb up the corporate ladder. So, what “promising” companies are most graduates I know working for? Burger King, Wal-Mart, Sears, Subway and Market Basket, just to name a few.

These college graduates are essentially stuck in the same position they were in while enrolled in high school, working a lower-end job and making minimum wage pay, perhaps a little more if they’re lucky. This time around, however, they are accompanied with the weight of thousands of dollars in debt to carry on their shoulders and no confidence in being able to pay it off. Thoughts of doubting themselves over how they’ve spent the last four or more years of their lives consume their minds, and the distressing question arises: was it all worth it?

In a time where just about every American is struggling to get by financially, where does the justification reside in spending thousands of dollars on an education only to end up at a low-end job? Though it is, of course, unreasonable to assume that you’ll be receiving your high-paying dream job as soon as you walk out the door of your university, it is unjust to end up in the same career position you could’ve gained without being buried in thousands of dollars of debt.

This issue calls to attention the pressing matter of fixing our financial situation as a country and the scarcity of jobs we are dealing with. With the rewards of obtaining a college degree becoming few and far between, less and less Americans will be motivated to invest in a rich education. What happens when the majority of our country lacks a serious education? Will our politics and social customs begin to fall apart, perhaps even devolving back into a more third-world state of existence? Living in a country that strives to be number one in the world, this situation is simply unacceptable. When our young citizens are making such a dedicated investment in bettering themselves and the world around them, it is only right that they are met with a reasonable reward for their efforts and struggles.