Hi,
There are probably as many studies on this topic as there are four
year colleges. These types of studies are often done to show why
alumni should continue to support their University and why
governmental funding is warranted.
These studies typically focus on the difference between what can be
earn with a degree and what can be earned without one. Another common
focus is the ROI (return on investment) that a degree will bring.
Study: College degree trumps Wall Street
---"The best path to financial security may not be through the stock market.
Putting money into a four-year college education turns out to be a
better financial investment ? to the tune of $1 million more over
one?s lifetime than people who have just a high school education."
http://www.asu.edu/news/stories/200510/20051027_p3.htm
Economic Impact Study (download link for study at the bottom)
---"Studies demonstrate that education increases lifetime earnings.
The average annual earnings of a student with a one-year certificate
are $28,365, or 81.2% more than someone without a high school diploma
or GED, and 16.1% more than a student with a high school diploma. The
average earnings of someone with an Associate Degree are $33,369, or
113.2% more than someone without a high school diploma or GED, and
36.5% more than a student with a high school diploma or GED."
http://www.wwcc.wy.edu/mis_admin/econstudy.htm
The Value of College: Study Points to Payoffs from a College Degree in
Georgia and Highlights Areas of Future Demand
---"Additional annual earning power attributed to a college degree
ranged from $5,706 for graduates of a two-year college up to $19,362
for graduates of the Medical College of Georgia. Other institutions at
the top of the ranking for helping graduates increase their annual
earnings included the Georgia Institute of Technology ($18,621),
Georgia State University ($18,513), Southern Polytechnic State
University ($17,034), the State University of West Georgia ($15,860)
and the University of Georgia ($14,682)."
http://gtresearchnews.gatech.edu/newsrelease/collegevalue.htm
In 1997 however there was a study which didn't focus so much on what
might be the difference in annual salaries between having a degree,
and not having one, and instead, focused on whether or not a person
could earn a decent living without a degree...
College degree is not the only path to a well-paying job
---"In their study of 158 occupations in the Great Lakes region
(Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin), Grimes and Glazer
found that among 54 job fields with median annual earnings of at least
$33,000 (about 10 percent above the typical yearly income in the Great
Lakes region), 23 were occupations that required no four-year college
degree."
http://www.umich.edu/~urecord/9697/Feb18_97/artcl12.htm
This study showed that there were plenty of good paying carrier jobs,
with benefits and retirement prospects that did not require a degree
above High School level.
On the Social level, we know that the higher the level of education
the less crime and greater regard for private property. Those studies
are found all over the place as well, but one study I found
interesting was done on insomnia and sleep differences between those
with a higher education and those without.
--" Women with more education get better sleep, but the reasons remain
elusive, a new study conducted in Taiwan shows.
The study also found the opposite in men: the higher a man's
education, the less good sleep he gets."
http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/national/2005/05/24/sleep050523.html
So, from this "do you need a college degree?" The answer appears to be
no, not to make a living. More choices and greater opportunities for
salary increases appear to be more available if you have a degree, but
on the bottom line, the answer is no.
If you need more on this question, just let me know using the
clarification function.
thanks and Happy New Year!
webadept-ga |
