The Importance of Education

Most people already know that going to college is important; it opens many doors and

provides many advantages and opportunities. On average, people with a college education

earn nearly twice as much as those with only a high school diploma. So, over a lifetime, a

college graduate can earn about $2 million while a high school graduate will earn only $1

million. In fact, the earnings gap between someone with a college degree and someone with

a high school diploma has widened in the last decades and that gap is projected to widen

even further in the future.

There are other advantages to being a college graduate. Research indicates that college

graduates live longer, have better access to health care, are economically more stable,

have more disposable income and more time to participate in leisure activities, vote at a

higher rate, and are more involved in their communities. Earning a higher income allows a

family to live in more affluent neighborhoods. Affluent areas have higher property values

and collect higher taxes—tax revenues that allow these neighborhoods to have better

schools and better access to healthcare. These advantages are passed on to the children

who grow up healthier, perform better in school, and are more likely to attend college

themselves.

Individuals who attend college usually achieve higher skill levels than those who do not.

Employers may use college degrees as one of the tools to sort out potential employees,

recognizing that higher levels of education may indicate higher ability. Having a college

education provides the individual with a much-needed edge in today’s competitive job

market, as well as in the future.

It is said that the economy of the 21st century is a knowledge economy.