There has been an ongoing debate as to whether or not college is actually useful and worth your time and money. One side thinks that it’s pointless and you can be perfectly successful without a degree, while the other side thinks it’s very useful to have for future careers, and will help you make more money, have higher job security, and become successful. Some are even willing to go as far as to say that you won’t get anywhere without earning a bachelor’s degree, as most high paying jobs require a college degree. The people against college argue back with the student debt crisis, where a large percent of it stems directly from college tuition being very expensive, and there are multiple ways you can still succeed without obtaining your college degree. With valid arguments coming from both sides, the real question is: is College truly worth the time?

When asked about her views on college, Freshman AJ McDavid said this:

R: Do you plan to go to college in the future? If so, which one?

A: Yes, I plan to go to LSU.

R: May I ask why? Like what degree do you plan to get?

A: I plan to go for sports. I plan to get my doctorates degree in physiology.

R: Nice! How exactly do you plan to pay for tuition, if you’ve figured that out yet?

A: I plan to get full-time scholarships.

R: Good plan. Do you personally think that college is worth the money and time spent, or do you think people can be perfectly successful without a degree?

A: I  think it’s very much worth the money, depending on what you’re going for. If you go for sports it’s great for your future career but maybe for certain majors you can be successful without it.

R: That’s pretty reasonable. Final question, what would you say makes you want to go to college and graduate?

A: To get to the next level of my academics.

R: Makes sense. Thanks for your time.

A second student, Tyler Segretario, was also asked about his views on college. He said the following:

R: Do you plan to go to college? If so, which one?

T: Yes, I plan to go to the University of Notre Dame

R: Nice. What do you plan to major in, and what do you want your degree to be?

T: I plan to major in law and I will probably have a masters degree. I’m not sure yet though.

R: That’s understandable. Would you say a college degree is generally something you should get if you want to be successful in life, or do you think it’s not really too important or necessary?

T: I think a degree is key to being successful because it can help you achieve a great job.

R: That’s a pretty solid way to view it. Now, final question, do you think there is still flaws, like the gigantic amount of student debt that has been accumulated from being unable to pay for college themselves, or do you think it’s still worth it regardless of whether or not you can afford college tuition?

T: I think having to take out a student loan and pay it off sucks, but the job you can get from going to college and graduating might be worth it.

R: Good answer. Thanks for your time.

A third and final student, June Binkerd, was asked the same questions. She answered with this:

R: Do you plan to go to a college, and if so, which one?

J: Yes I plan on going to college, but I don’t know which one, I’m a freshman.

R: Ok, what degree would you say you will be pursuing? Like art, math, science, etc.

J: I plan on pursuing a degree in forensic science.

R: Nice choice. Any reason why you are choosing forensic science?

J: I want to work on what has happened to people that killed them.

R: So like a forensic pathologist that conducts autopsies?

J: Yes.

R: Very cool! Final question, do you personally believe that college is worth the money and time spent, or do you think it’s not really necessary, and you can be successful without it.

J: Nah, it’s way too much money, the student debt crisis is insane.

R: Fair point, any clue how you are going to afford tuition, like are you taking out a student loan, having your parents pay for tuition, or maybe getting a Bright Futures scholarship?

J: I’m hoping to get a scholarship.

R: Nice. Thanks for your time.

Now that we have seen some of what the people think about college, let’s get into the statistics.

According to educationdata.org, the USA has a total student debt of 1.814 Trillion. Also, the average public university student spends around 32 thousand dollars to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Also, around 52% of bachelor degree graduates are unemployed after graduating, meaning they work at jobs that don’t require a degree, and approximately 2/3 of the U.S. job force doesn’t require a college degree of any sorts. However, the average salary for a high school graduate is about 49 grand, which is about 946 dollars per week, while a bachelor degree graduate makes about 79 grand a year, which is 1533 dollars a week, according to the U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics. College graduates also statistically have a lower unemployment rate compared to high school graduates. They also make 1.2 million dollars more in their lifetime, with college grads having a median lifetime earnings of 2.8 million dollars, while high school graduates earn around 1.6 million dollars. College grads also have more job opportunities and higher job security. But this still doesn’t answer our question, is college really worth your time?

I would say the answer to that is that it’s important and helpful, but it’s not something that you necessarily need to get. Graduating high school and then entering the job force can still make you perfectly successful, college is just a resource to use if you want to have more opportunities and benefits.