College Degrees Offer Several Benefits
A recent report by the College Board, a non-profit membership association that assists prospective college students, revealed several ways in which a college education can benefit students.
The first benefit associated with earning a college degree is an improved earning potential - higher levels of education result in higher earnings. This finding was true for all racial and ethnic groups as well as between men and women.
For example, an individual with a bachelor's degree can expect to earn 61 percent more over a 40-year working life than the average high school graduate. Even taking just a few college courses can be beneficial - those who have some college but no degree can expect to earn 19 percent more than a person with only a high school degree.
Not only are individuals with college degrees more likely to earn more over their lifetime, but they also are more likely to receive employer-provided health insurance and pension benefits compared to those with only a high school education.
In today's world, health insurance is a hot-button issue, and the numbers show that having a college education can help. While the overall number of individuals who receive health insurance from their employers has dropped since 1980, this decrease has been more pronounced among those with only a high school education.
In 1980, the proportion of college graduates who received employer-provided health insurance was 9 percentage points higher than the proportion of high school graduates receiving this same benefit, according to the College Board. By 2005, the gap between these two groups had increased to 16 percentage points.
Employers also are more likely to offer pension plans to employees with a college education. In 2005, 69 percent of year-round workers with a bachelor's degree or higher were offered a pension plan by their employers compared to only 53 percent of individuals who graduated from high school only.
Another benefit associated with college education is the health factor. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, achieving a higher level of education is associated with better health.
For example, among individuals between the ages of 45 and 54, 76 percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher reported being in excellent or very good health in 2005 versus only 55 percent of those with only a high school education - a 21 percentage point difference.
The difference was even greater among those between the ages of 55 and 64 - 68 percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher reported being in excellent or very good health versus only 44 percent of high school-only graduates - a 24 percentage point difference.
Begin Your Higher Education Search
The first step in achieving the many benefits noted above is to research the numerous higher education opportunities available to you.
To begin your higher education search, all you need to do is complete our brief and secure online form. By completing this form, you will receive information on a number of higher education institutions that can guide you along the path toward a more benefit-filled life.