Opinion | See workers as workers, not a college credential (2023)

FAQs

Do workers with college degrees earn more on average than workers with only high school diplomas How much more? ›

Typical earnings for bachelor's degree holders are $36,000 or 84 percent higher than those whose highest degree is a high school diploma. College graduates on average make $1.2 million more over their lifetime.

Earn More on Average

That's an increase of $154 per week or over $8,000 more per year than those with only a high school diploma. Workers with a bachelor's degree earned a median of $1,334 weekly—$525 more per week than workers without a postsecondary education and an increase of more than $27,000 per year.

When a job is hard to fill, employers are more likely to overlook the lack of a degree when candidates have sufficient experience in place of the “right” education. And in large organizations (those with more than 10,000 employees), experience is more important than a degree 44% of the time.

By being exposed to various university-level content, college graduates earn a degree in not only their major field but also gain important insight into how other related fields could work. This increases job opportunities for a degree earner since they are in a better position to fill up various roles.

Men with bachelor's degrees earn approximately $900,000 more in median lifetime earnings than high school graduates. Women with bachelor's degrees earn $630,000 more.

Less Structured Time. Many students are in class or on campus for eight to ten hours a day during high school. In college, full-time students will spend anywhere from twelve to twenty hours a week in class, only taking five to six courses at a time. Much of the work in college is done independently outside of class.

Although work experience is incredibly important, having a degree will sometimes give your application an edge over other candidates. It can often be the tiebreaker between two equally impressive candidates.

You can expect your life to change in the best ways when you get a degree—you'll likely see more job opportunities, be a better job candidate, have higher earning potential, and enjoy greater economic and job stability if you are college-educated.

In the real world, having a college degree doesn't guarantee a job. You need to bring marketable skills to the table, as well as the ability to continue learning, growing, and providing value for their employer", shared Gyanendra Singh, Co-Founder at Cognic Systems.

Work experience is important for getting into any career. Having some can make you stand out from the crowd on applications for courses, training and jobs. Work experience can be useful for anyone of any age and at any stage of your career.

Why is work experience good for students? ›

Reasons for doing work experience include: developing transferable skills, such as communication and teamworking. understanding how organisations work or bringing a job they have read about to life. building confidence in interacting with adults.

While experience and qualifications are different, both are important for your job search. A candidate with years of experience can benefit from updated training in their field. Someone with years of education can apply their knowledge through projects or internships and gain real-world experience.

As noted above, the credential itself is an important factor when it comes to improved career prospects, but it's not just about the piece of paper: the skills you'll learn throughout your degree program will set you apart as a highly qualified candidate and valuable employee.

College graduates – regardless of their major – earn considerably more than those without college degrees, and they are highly likely to be satisfied with their jobs and their lives.

degree still matters. “A degree won't automatically make you an expert in your field or put you in a top position, but for sure it will get you noticed when you start and open doors that [wouldn't be open] if you didn't have a degree.

That being said, you can certainly be successful without a college degree — your skills and talents can get you hired. Find out exactly what skills are needed for your career path and work hard to excel in them. You will have to be determined, self-disciplined, and goal-oriented.

Most U.S. billionaires have a college degree, but these self-made superstars built their fortunes with just a high school diploma, if even that. J immy John Liautaud opened the first Jimmy John's sandwich shop in January 1983, just a few months after he graduated from high school.

Read: How to Pay for College Using These Overlooked Strategies. ] Close to 70% of all college students work while enrolled, according to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Some colleges, such as Williams College in Massachusetts, even expect that students will work while in school.

Yes, college classes are typically harder than high school classes because the course work, topics, and depth of materials are more complex, set at a faster pace, and require more studying.

The more work hours a student takes on beyond 12 or 15 a week, “the more risk you take on in jeopardizing academic achievement or time to degree,” Larimore said.

Is it better to go to college or work? ›

Neither option is better or worse. It depends on what best suits the individual. Studies show that people that go to college earn more and are less likely to experience unemployment. That being said, college is not for everyone, the time investment may not be worth it for some, and the cost is extremely high.

It not only helps in achieving better grades but makes them aware of the process of writing – drafting, editing, rewriting and proofreading. Hence if students work upon their writing skills in college they are actually preparing them for better job opportunities.

College Education and Wages

Bachelor's degree recipients can expect to earn about $1 million more over a lifetime than a person who doesn't go to college. A postsecondary education is expected to be required for about two-thirds of available jobs by 2020.

Education provides stability in life, and it's something that no one can ever take away from you. By being well-educated and holding a college degree, you increase your chances for better career opportunities and open up new doors for yourself.

A positive employee experience can foster strong company culture and drive business objectives. According to a 2021 Willis Towers Watson global survey, 92% of employers said enhancing employee experience is an important priority for their organizations for the next three years.

It Teaches You Core Skills

There are some skills that are universal to any job role. Communication, problem-solving, timekeeping, confidence, and teamwork all apply across the board, no matter the industry or type of role you're looking for.

One of the key benefits of work experience is that it allows you to apply your skills and aptitudes in a professional environment and your skills can become developed in a way more suited to the world of work. Another key benefit of Work Experience is gaining new skills.

Employability skills. Insight into the work place. Increases your knowledge of your chosen industry.

Why experience matters more than education? ›

Experience helps you learn about the everyday realities of working life and most importantly equips you with the soft skills needed to succeed at any organization. While a college degree might increase your peer base, experience gives you access to a huge network of people who have been there and done that.

Experience is more valuable to the majority of employers, who are looking to stay within budget and optimise productivity. Hence why work experience is so important. A solid balance of both a decent GPA and suitable professional experience will get you through the front door better than either factor on its own.

With an accurate idea of your previous experiences, including how you've developed professionally and how you've succeeded, employers can assess whether your current qualifications have prepared you to meet expectations and match the requirements of the job they're looking to fill.

Yes! Having a job in high school can definitely look good on your college application. As long as it doesn't end up negatively impacting other key areas such as academic performance and extracurricular participation, working in high school is an excellent way to increase the strength of your application.

The June survey from Intelligent.com – an online magazine centered around helping students make informed choices about their college education – found that 84% of hiring managers say a candidate's higher education institution is a “very important” or “important” factor in their decisions.

Each student should do something extracurricular they genuinely enjoy. They need to be invested, curious and contributing. However, there is one thing all colleges like to see applicants doing, and that is working.

The evidence that a college degree significantly improves one's employment prospects and earnings potential is overwhelming. Bachelor's degree holders are half as likely to be unemployed as their peers who only have a high school degree and they make $1.2 million in additional earnings on average over their lifetime.

College graduates earn more than double the salary of those without a degree and those with professional degrees earn almost four times as much as a high school graduate. Staying in school pays off.

While luck, risk-taking, and networking contribute to income inequality, most economists believe that the main reason college graduates earn more than high school graduates is that they gain skills and knowledge in college that increase their productivity. can also explain why wages differ among individuals.

A person who holds a bachelor's degree: Is twice as likely to be employed as a peer with only a high school diploma. On average, will make $1 million in additional earnings over their lifetime. Earns about $32,000 more each year than someone with a high school diploma.

What degree has the highest employment rate? ›

Almost certainly, yes. This is only going to become more true over time, as the job market becomes even more competitive. To put the trend in perspective, consider that nine out of ten new jobs created in the last year have gone to those with a college degree.

The increased pay is due to a smaller labor supply capable of operating in those industries, and the required education and training carrying significant costs.

People who earn bachelor's degrees, and find work in the same area in which they earned their degree, have specialized knowledge that someone who didn't study in that field lacks. Employers don't have to do as much training when they hire employees with knowledge and experience that relates to their job.

Graduates are more likely to work in high-skilled posts than non-graduates. Therefore, allowing them to earn more as soon as they finish their degree.

The June survey from Intelligent.com – an online magazine centered around helping students make informed choices about their college education – found that 84% of hiring managers say a candidate's higher education institution is a “very important” or “important” factor in their decisions.

Few college dropouts hold leadership positions.

A Taylor & Francis Online study of 11,745 individuals in the U.S.shows found that 94 percent of CEOs, judges, politicians, millionaires, billionaires and business leaders attended college, with 50 percent graduating from elite school.

The Importance of a College Degree

No matter what school you graduated from, a college degree remains to be a primary preference for most employers.

What is the best degree in the world? ›

What are the hardest degree subjects? The hardest degree subjects are Aerospace Engineering, Law, Chartered Accountancy, Architecture, Chemistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, Psychology, Statistics, Nursing, Physics, Astrophysics, Biomedical Engineering, Astronomy, and Dentistry.

Engineering

While it's possibly not one of the most predictable entry placements on our list, engineering takes the top spot, yielding a greater number of millionaires than any other degree subject, according to Spear's and WealthInsight.