Learning Commons Blog: Life After College: The Career Horizon (Part 2)

Let’s get straight to the point: being a college student is hard. We have to balance both our academic responsibilities with our personal lives, often juggling our own well-being and the well-being of those around us. As seniors (or future graduates) we have to think about our futures, while juggling our far too many present activities. Career preparation takes work because it is work, but I want to show that all our hard work will be worth it in the end. The previous post focused on graduate outcomes. This post will focus on the many pros of an undergraduate degree. You will find C3 information as well as link to helpful sources at the end.

During the Pandemic

According to “a national report by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (sheeo.org), high school graduates earn an average of almost $30,000 per year. Bachelor's graduates earn an average of just over $50,000 a year.”¹

This is a 20K difference in average salaries, with just four years of further education! However, we all know this already, I mean this difference is why many - if not all - of us attend college in the first place. Did you know that even in these trying times, college graduates are not suffering as hard from the economic fallout as those who have a high school diploma, or lower?

According to Pew Research:

“Adults without a bachelor’s degree are more likely than those with at least a bachelor’s degree to say they have experienced problems with paying their bills, affording medical expenses for themselves or their families, or making rent or mortgage payments. About a third of adults with a high school diploma or less education (34%) and 27% of those with some college experience say they have struggled with paying bills, compared with 12% of those with a bachelor’s degree or more education. About one-in-five adults with some college or high school or less education say they have had problems paying their rent or mortgage (18% and 23%) since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak. Those with a high school diploma or less education are twice as likely as those with a bachelor’s degree or more education to have lost their health insurance in the same time period (6% vs. 3%)”² (By. KIM PARKER, RACHEL MINKIN AND JESSE BENNETT).

In translation, those with bachelor’s degrees show lower rates of losing their health insurance, struggle less with paying their bills (12% compared to the 34% of high school graduates), and, overall, fare better than other demographics. This study also found that people with at least a bachelor’s degree are able to save more during this pandemic than those with a high school diploma or less.

Job Opportunities (in General)

It’s not an understatement to say most of us came to Coe to have more job opportunities than if we tried looking for work right after high school. Fortunately, research supports our goal. According to Northeastern University of Boston, Massachusetts, college graduates see 57 percent more job opportunities than non-graduates, and it is estimated that, by 2020, two-thirds of all jobs will require postsecondary education.³ This means that college graduates have over two times the number of job opportunities, and that a majority of jobs require an undergraduate as a basic requirement.

A degree is even more of a requirement when looking for jobs that require a graduate program education and certification.

Happiness After Graduation

Ever heard that having a college degree leads to happiness later in life? Cory Steig from CNBC wrote an entire article on the relationship between an undergraduate degree and happiness to answer this question. The first finding, from the U.S. General Social Surveys showed that over 90% of college graduates are happy with their lives. The reasons may include the fact that a college degree brings increased job opportunities and financial stability, but other factors play a role. Being able to pay your bills is always a plus, but for many people a college degree is seen as a ticket out of poverty. Alex Bernadotte, CEO and founder of Beyond 12, is even quoted describing a degree as “currency”.⁴

Another important factor when it comes to the happiness gained with the opportunities and privileges form having a college degree is the concept of purpose. Think about it: we have a higher chance of working in professions that mean something to us, or allow us to feel like we’re contributing something to the good of the world, if we have a bachelor’s degree.

To summarize, there are a variety of benefits to a college education, even right now in the middle of this pandemic. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide how you will proceed with your future. We all have a lot on our plates and have to respond accordingly. As a senior, I can only hope that I make the best decisions for my own future.