The discussion of the value of a college degree became extremely relevant when former candidate for the 2016 presidential election, Bernie Sanders, introduced the idea of free college tuition. Bernie Sanders introduced this concept that some would call insane because he realizes the importance of a college education. As the cost of a college education rises, many have questioned the returns, however there are many benefits; students are gaining the education itself, the experience, the connections, and the social aspects that make the investment worthwhile.
Scholars from the National Bureau of Economic Research have stated that “Despite the tremendous heterogeneity across potential college students, we conclude that the investment appears to payoff for both the average and marginal student." This statement is backed with the knowledge that the earnings premium associated with a college degree have risen a great deal. If college graduates are seeing an increase in the amount that they earn it shows potential for being a worthwhile investment. Along with the claims from these scholars the claims from Danielle Douglas-Gabrielle and Jeffrey Selingo, which can be found on the Stakeholders page would support to pursuit of a college education. They also chose to highlight the advantages in terms of jobs and salary.
Beyond just the financial or economical aspects of the benefits of a college education there are also social returns. Two articles, one from CollegeView.com and one from CollegeAtlas.com claim that “In college, your most important task is to learn and begin to take charge of your life by making your own choices”(CollegeView), and “Studies have shown that a college degree also has a very positive impact on an individual’s written and verbal communication skills”(College Atlas). Through these statements you can see that the benefits of a college education expand beyond just what type of job you'll get or how much money you make. Graduates are seeing returns that they might not even recognize. Lizzie Wann from The Huffington Post further expands on these social benetis by stating that “Studies conducted by the College Board and others like it have found that those who have completed additional schooling are not only more equipped to handle mental challenges, but also report a higher level of satisfaction when doing so." By referencing a study done by college board Wann is able to reiterate that there are social benefits to receiving a college education.
Based on the information provided by these scholars it is easy to see that there are numerous benefits to receiving a college education. One is to expect that there would be economic benefits, but here we see that a college graduate can see returns that lie outside the region of just jobs and pay. This is why a college education is worth the investment.