College life is caricatured as endless keg stands and carefree one night stands. Generations of American teens have been raised on Hollywood’s depiction of the college experience: fraternity parties, tailgating at football games, sharing clothes with roommates, studying abroad, and meeting the love of your life through the stacks in the library. This idyllic version of college is not reality.
The first college in the United States, Harvard College, was founded in 1636. According to Harvard University it was “initially established to provide a learned ministry to the colonies.” Originally, the college system was not designed for every person in the population to attend; its purpose was for the exceptionally intelligent to further their acquisition of knowledge. Flash-forward three and a half centuries, the college system has transformed immensely. In October 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, “65.9 percent of 2013 high school graduates were enrolled in colleges or universities.” The New York Times economics reporter, Catherine Rampell, …show more content…
It may be a gamble to invest in a college education, but it is far riskier to face life without a degree. The Pew Research Center study mentioned previously also concluded that college-educated young adults were significantly less likely to be unemployed than their less-educated counter-parts. Only 3.8% of college graduates were unemployed while the unemployment rate for people who only hold a high school diploma is a whopping 12.2%. A degree may not ensure a career, but statistically speaking obtaining one means people are four times less likely to be unemployed. The National Coalition for the Homeless reports that of the homeless population in the United States only six percent have bachelor’s degrees. It is not a guarantee that if someone goes to college they will not end up on the streets but there is a much less likelihood that this would
The first college in the United States, Harvard College, was founded in 1636. According to Harvard University it was “initially established to provide a learned ministry to the colonies.” Originally, the college system was not designed for every person in the population to attend; its purpose was for the exceptionally intelligent to further their acquisition of knowledge. Flash-forward three and a half centuries, the college system has transformed immensely. In October 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, “65.9 percent of 2013 high school graduates were enrolled in colleges or universities.” The New York Times economics reporter, Catherine Rampell, …show more content…
It may be a gamble to invest in a college education, but it is far riskier to face life without a degree. The Pew Research Center study mentioned previously also concluded that college-educated young adults were significantly less likely to be unemployed than their less-educated counter-parts. Only 3.8% of college graduates were unemployed while the unemployment rate for people who only hold a high school diploma is a whopping 12.2%. A degree may not ensure a career, but statistically speaking obtaining one means people are four times less likely to be unemployed. The National Coalition for the Homeless reports that of the homeless population in the United States only six percent have bachelor’s degrees. It is not a guarantee that if someone goes to college they will not end up on the streets but there is a much less likelihood that this would