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Is College Worth It: The Benefits of College Education

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Published: Jan 28, 2021

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Why Is College Worth It? (Essay)

Works cited.

• Archibald, R., & Feldman, D. (2006). Graduation Rates and Accountability: Regressional Discontinuity Estimates of the Impact of Merit Aid on College Persistence. Journal of Human Resources, 41(4), 669-700.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021). Unemployment rates and earnings by educational attainment. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm
• College Board. (2021). Trends in College Pricing 2021. https://research.collegeboard.org/pdf/trends-college-pricing-2021-full-report.pdf
• Deil-Amen, R., & Rosenbaum, J. E. (2003). The unintended consequences of merit aid: The impact on college access and choice. Journal of Higher Education, 74(4), 365-391.
• Deming, D. J., Goldin, C., & Katz, L. F. (2012). The value of postsecondary credentials in the labor market: An educational perspective. American Economic Review, 102(4), 463-468.
• Federal Student Aid. (n.d.). FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid. U.S. Department of Education. https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
• Finnie, R., & Mueller, R. E. (2019). The financial returns from post-secondary education: A literature review. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 49(1), 22-44.
• Hout, M. (2012). Social and economic returns to college education in the United States. Annual Review of Sociology, 38, 379-400.
• Jackson, C. K., Johnson, R. C., & Persico, C. (2016). The effects of school spending on educational and economic outcomes: Evidence from school finance reforms. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 131(1), 157-218.
• Perna, L. W. (2010). Understanding the working college student. ASHE Higher Education Report, 35(3), 1-131.

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Is College Worth It?

The new economics of higher education make going to college a risky bet..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

From “The New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.”

New research and polling show that more and more Americans now doubt a once unquestioned fact of American life, that going to college is worth it. Today, Time’s magazine contributor Paul Tough on why so many high school students and their parents are souring on higher education and what that will mean for the country’s future.

It’s Wednesday, September 20.

Paul, we have spent a lot of time over the past year talking about higher education on “The Daily,” first because the Supreme Court ended affirmative action in college admissions, and second because of new data showing just how much college perpetuates basically financial privilege by very much favoring the rich in the admissions process.

But you come at the subject with reporting on something that feels in a way bigger and even more foundational to the question of higher education. You’re finding that fewer and fewer Americans even believe in the idea of college. So just walk us through those findings.

Yeah, so about a decade ago, I think Americans were feeling pretty positively about higher education. And you could see that in all kinds of public opinion polls. No matter how you ask the question, people would say college was worth it. Parents would say I want my kids to go to college. Graduates would say this was worth it, this experience.

And then at some point in the last 10 years, that really started to shift. And now when you look at public opinion polls, the answers are all going in the opposite direction. People are much more skeptical of college as an institution.

They don’t trust it. Parents aren’t sure they want to send their kids. Young people aren’t convinced that they need a degree to do well. And all of that shift has happened just in the last decade.

Just how much more skeptical? I wonder if you can give us some of the data points.

The number that really stuck out to me in the public opinion polls is that about a decade ago like 98 percent of parents said that they expected their kids to attend college. I think at the time it was just this accepted truth.

Right, that’s basically universal.

Exactly, that everyone was going to go to college. And now when you look at public opinion polls, it’s about half of American parents say they don’t want their kids to go to a four-year college. So that’s this shift in public opinion that’s not just on the margins; it’s a shift in how we think about this institution.

And that shift in public opinion was mirrored by a shift in who was actually showing up on college campuses. So in the fall of 2010, there were more than 18 million undergraduates on American College campuses. In 2021, that figure dipped to 15.5 million. So that’s 2.5 million young people who disappeared from American college campuses.

Wow. So Americans aren’t just losing faith in the idea of college, they’re losing enthusiasm to attend college.

And what you’re laying out is a really significant change in any time frame, but it’s especially big within the period of just a decade. And it’s especially big given that college has for so long felt like a pillar of American society. I think of it alongside home ownership, it has been held up as a central component of the American dream, with proven long-standing financial upsides.

And even as colleges become extremely expensive, that image of financial upside has endured, that ultimately it’s just worth it. So help us understand what exactly has changed here.

Well, partly what’s interesting is what hasn’t changed. So there is this number that economists call the college wage premium, which is how much more a typical college graduate is going to earn than a typical high school graduate. That hit a boost of about 60 percent, 65 percent way back in 2000, and it stayed at the same level ever since.

College graduates are still on average making a whole lot more than high school graduates.

Which is why so many people have believed you’re supposed to go to college.

Right. On that level, the financial benefit is real. And so the idea that I think people always had that college was the way to achieve a comfortable, affluent life is quite valid.

The problem that I think families and economists are now coming to understand inherent in the college wage premium is that it measures your income, but it doesn’t measure how much you paid for college, and it doesn’t measure how much debt you have. And so that shortcoming is what has pushed a variety of economists to come up with new ways of capturing what I think a lot of American families are feeling. How worth it is a college degree over the long term when you factor in how much you’re spending and how much you owe?

And this one set of economists in Saint Louis came up with this calculation they call the college wealth premium. So unlike the college wage premium, which just measures how much a college grad earns compared to a high school grad, this measures how much wealth you accumulate, your assets minus your debts over the course of your lifetime. And the picture they found of how well college grads are doing was much different than when you just look at the college income premium on its own.

Well, just explain that. What does the college wealth premium find that better reflects reality than the college wage premium that we have relied on so long and that has put college at the center of so many people’s aspirations?

Well, it finds that it has really shifted did over time. When you were born, what generation you’re a part of makes a huge difference. So for people born in the ‘40s and ‘50s and ‘60s, the college wealth premium is functioning exactly the way it’s supposed to. So the college grads are amassing two or three times as much wealth over their lifetime than high school grads.

But when they looked at young people who were born after 1980, in the 1980s and 1990s, their wealth benefit was much smaller. And for certain cohorts, for Black and Latino-headed families, that college wealth premium had disappeared altogether. So a college grad wasn’t amassing any more wealth over their lifetime than a high school grad.

So walk us through that. I mean, clearly the financial math of attending college isn’t working any longer. I think we can guess why, but just explain the mechanics of that math and why a college degree isn’t creating the kind of wealth that it used to even if it still guarantees higher wages.

Well, I think it has a lot to do with debt and what people are paying for college. If you’ve got lots of debt, your household wealth is going to go down. There’s lots of these college graduates who are on paper earning quite a bit of money, but their debt has become so high that they can’t really accumulate the kind of wealth that earlier generations were able to do.

But even for those people who aren’t going into a lot of debt, the amount of money that they’re spending on college is still subtracted from their assets. So one of the things that these economists found is that even if you leave college without any debt, if your family has had to plow a big percentage of their assets into your college education, that makes a big difference. That is money that can’t go towards a down payment on a first home or a nest egg to start a family, a way to start a small business.

And especially in young adulthood, those are the sorts of things that really start to accumulate wealth. So debt’s a huge part of it, but the costs of college hurt wealth accumulation for almost everybody.

And thus the incentive to attend college becomes, for some, virtually nonexistent.

Yeah, I mean, if you’re looking at that number, if you’re looking at how much wealth am I going to have over my lifetime, it is harder to make the case, especially for younger people, that a college degree is going to really pay off.

I’m curious, Paul, whether the existence or the absence of the wealth premium for those who attend college versus those who don’t is dependent on some of the decisions people make about colleges. Attending a public college, for example, versus a potentially much more expensive private college, or what you major in, and therefore how lucrative your career is as a result.

Yes, this is another big finding that economists have made over the last few years that helps explain, I think, this shift in public opinion. Which is that there’s much more risk, there’s much more uncertainty in going to college.

It really does depend on who you are, and what you major in, on where you go. So some of the numbers that really stand out to me is that if you can guarantee that you are going to graduate from college in four years, and if college is absolutely free, then in this amazingly hypothetical world, you have a 96 percent chance of having college pay off over your lifetime.

But once those imaginary ideas start to fade, your chance of coming out ahead is much less. So if you have a normal risk of dropping out — about 40 percent of people who start college drop out before they finish — suddenly you only have three in four chance of earning more than a high school graduate.

Once you start increasing the amount that you spend, spending $25,000, spending $50,000, your chance of winning the college gamble becomes less and less, comes down to close to 50 percent. And it really also matters what your major is.

If you major in a science technology, engineering, math field, then your chances bump up once again, and you’re likely to win the bet. But if you’re taking anything else, if you’re studying arts, humanities, social science degree, your chance of coming out ahead, if you’re spending even $25,000 a year on college, is no better than a coin flip.

In other words, there are a lot of well-trodden, widely taken routes to college that are ensuring that you will not have a college wealth premium over someone who didn’t attend college.

Well, they’re not quite ensuring it, but they are putting it at risk. And that’s, I think, what really changes. It’s just much more of a gamble than it used to be. I mean, one way of thinking about it is that going to college used to be like investing in a treasury bill. It was a very solid, boring, responsible thing to do.

Now it’s much more like going to a casino. You might come out ahead. You might win big, but you also might lose your shirt. You might lose everything. And that, I think, is what has really changed and what young people especially are responding to.

They feel this sense of risk in going to college that didn’t used to be there, and I think understandably just makes them and their families feel much more anxious about this investment.

So when we remove the college wealth premium, then we have clearly taken away what I think many would argue is the single biggest incentive to attend college in the first place, which helps explain why millions of people are opting not to go to college. But the polling you cited at the beginning of our conversation makes me wonder if there’s more to this than just bad economic outcomes of attending college.

You said that an increasing number of Americans just have a dim view of college itself, which feels a little bit separate and apart from just money. And I wonder what you think is going on there.

I think you’re right. I think there is more going on than just economics. I think there is a cultural shift, and significantly a political shift that is happening at the same time, where certain Americans, especially those on the conservative side of the political spectrum, Republicans and those who lean toward the Republican Party, they are the ones who have turned against college most vehemently over the last decade or so.

It’s amazing when you look at the public opinion polling. So up to about 2015, Republicans and Democrats were answering questions about college in more or less the same way. They were both mostly on board with the college idea.

And then beginning in 2015, Republican public opinion about college just fell off a cliff. It just nosedived no matter how you ask the question. For some reason or other, Republicans were just becoming much more skeptical about college, and that has continued to today.

I’m curious what your reporting leads you to conclude is the cause of that. This is pre-Trump. This is pre-pandemic. What is it about college in the 2015 era that becomes partisan?

Well, I talked to a lot of conservative education analysts for this story, and they gave slightly different answers. But this was a moment in the middle of that decade where cultural politics were really shifting. In some way, that was what Trump was reflecting when he started his campaign.

And there was this sense, I think, among a lot of conservatives that college campuses had become these hotbeds of protest, where these spoiled rich kids were screaming and yelling and interrupting their classes. And I think for a lot of folks who were looking at that, especially from a conservative perspective, it just undermined their sense that college was something that they wanted to be a part of.

Got it. In other words, culturally speaking, college was a place seen as increasingly hostile to conservative viewpoints, thus among conservatives, the view of colleges became less and less appealing.

Yeah, and there was also data that was coming out in this era to support that. So for the first time, we were able to see that on college campuses there really were a whole lot more students who identified as liberal than students who identified as conservative, so about three times as many liberals as conservatives.

And a separate survey of college faculty found that there had been this shift from about a 2 to 1 ratio in favor of liberals to about a 5 to 1 ratio. And all of this, I think, was happening at the same time. And so whether Republicans were looking at those numbers or not, they were getting this sense that their ideas and their children were not really welcome on these campuses.

So on top of college being less and less profitable and lucrative as an economic proposition, which you’ve already described, it’s also becoming less and less culturally welcoming as a proposition for many on the right. And as a result, you have two very large factors weighing on people’s desire to go to college.

Yeah, and I think in many parts of the country, those two things really come together into one sort of cultural sense that college is not a good idea. In the fall of 2016, I was doing a lot of reporting in a rural county of Western North Carolina that had just gone for President Trump by huge margins.

And when I was talking to young people there, what I found was that a lot of them had had really negative experiences in college. They had dropped out. They owed a ton of money. They didn’t feel good about themselves, and a lot of family members were discouraging their younger kids from going on to college.

I think if you’re just looking at it through an economic lens, it doesn’t feel good to just say we can’t afford this, or you’re not smart enough to go to college. But when you’re able to turn that into sort of a culture war and say we’re not going to college because that’s the enemy camp, those aren’t people like us, I think in some ways it feels much more palatable.

So the big question I’m left with, Paul, is how much ultimately does this really matter? Let me explain. College is too expensive, so I don’t attend. College is too liberal, so I don’t attend. Problem solved a little bit, right?

No. I mean for individual young people, you can argue that it might make sense not to attend college. But when you look at the country as a whole, millions of young people opting out of college, it’s a disaster. It is not going to work at all. Our economy is just not set up to lose millions of college graduates.

We’ll be right back.

Paul, before the break, you said that our economy just isn’t really set up for a large number of people to opt out of college. What exactly do you mean by that?

When you talk to economists about what this economy is going to need over the next decade, what they tell you is that we need more BAs. There’s one specific economic report that says there’s going to be 8.5 million missing American BA holders by the end of this decade.

Wow. 8.5 million college graduates the economy simply does not have.

OK, so many of those jobs might not be filled with college graduates, but what about the people without college degrees? Aren’t there still plenty of good jobs for Americans who might look at college and say it’s too expensive; that is too much debt.

So I’m going to be a plumber. I’m going to be a mechanic. I’m going to have a good paying job that doesn’t require a college degree.

That’s really the problem with these financial calculations. Just because a college degree often doesn’t pay off, it doesn’t mean that there’s lots of opportunity for high school graduates. So yes, there are some jobs in the skilled trades, in plumbing and welding, that can pay a decent middle class wage, but there aren’t that many of them.

And the reality is that for most people who just have a high school diploma as their highest educational credential, the opportunities are really limited. The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculated what are the fastest growing jobs over the next decade for folks who don’t have anything more than a high school degree, and it’s mostly home health aides, food service workers, cooks, warehouse workers, and all of these jobs pay a median salary of less than $31,000 a year.

In other words, for those who don’t have a college degree, getting a middle class job is going to be increasingly difficult because this idea that there are tons of great, high-paying, for example, plumbing jobs all over the country, which is something you hear, that turns out to be a mythology.

Yeah, I mean, there are some of them, but there aren’t enough. And if we have a whole lot of people who only have a high school diploma, their opportunities are going to get worse and worse.

So this is a very complicated little conundrum that you’re outlining here, because if it’s now going to be almost impossible to enter the middle class with only a high school education, there’s a kind of damned if you do, damned if you don’t quality to this decision around whether to go to college.

If you’re looking at college and thinking that’s just too much debt, then it doesn’t make sense to go. But without that college degree, you are permanently consigned to a low paying job. Those are two pretty rough options.

Yeah, and I think this has a lot to do with why so many Americans are angry at higher education. It’s partly that sense that they’re really on the horns of this Dilemma

Well, just explain that. Why would all this frustration be channeled at college?

I think higher education is embedded in a sort of national economy that is increasingly unfair. And people look at higher education, and they see that it is unfair as well, that there are this limited number of high quality institutions that have a lot more rich kids attending them than poor kids, and they see lots of other institutions where people are coming out without a lot of opportunities and with a lot of debt, and that just makes them understandably mad and understandably anxious.

In other words, college is another element of a rigged system.

Yeah, and it’s actually a very central element of a rigged system. I mean, if the cost of cars or the cost of houses feels really unfair, that’s not a thing that gives you opportunity in the world. It’s not a thing that you need in order to have a middle class life. And so I think part of the anger about higher education comes from this idea that here is this thing that we’ve been told, arguably correctly, is an essential element of creating opportunity for yourself, for your children. And yet, we’ve created a system in which it is increasingly unavailable to lots of middle class people.

So this anger you’re describing, and the entire economic mismatch between the need for college graduates and so many financial reasons not to go to college that exists now, it feels like the kind of question that would be pretty urgent for policymakers in Washington to think about and to come up with pretty bold solutions for.

And we know that some of those solutions are out there. Senator Bernie Sanders has a free college for all plan. President Biden has a plan that he’s tried to put into place to reduce loan debt for college graduates. This is not a problem that hasn’t been pretty well thought through.

But we also know how quickly, and you hinted at this earlier, we know how quickly these proposals have become politicized because of this reality that Republicans view college very differently than Democrats. So there isn’t really a consensus right now in the country that this is an institution in American life worth promoting and protecting access to.

So how should we think about all of that and the likelihood that any real fix is in the offing?

Yeah, I mean, I think it is the real danger in this shift in public opinion. I mean, I share a lot of the anxiety and the anger that I think goes into these public opinion polls, people saying they don’t have confidence in college; they don’t think it’s fair; they aren’t sure that it’s worth it.

But the problem is that that has turned people away from wanting to try to fix it. I think that’s especially true on the Republican side of the aisle, but I think it’s true for a lot of Democrats as well, who also feel a lot of anger at college, people trying to pay off student loans, people trying to get into the right kind of college.

Because we’ve created a higher education system that is so competitive, that is so unequal, I don’t think there’s a real constituency for improving it, for fixing it. So I think any political solution has to be accompanied by a kind of a cultural shift as well, where we think about higher education as a different sort of thing, as something that is a public good and not just a consumer good.

Explain that distinction.

Sure. So mostly for instance, we think about public education. We think about high school. We think about the education of 18-year-olds as a public good. And then one year later, we want to put all of these same kids into this incredibly competitive, confusing system where they have to figure out how to get to the right college, where it’s extremely risky, there isn’t enough information for them to make good decisions, and the cost is something that we’ve decided that they and their families need to bear on their own. It doesn’t make any sense. There’s not actually a big difference between an 18-year-old and a 19-year-old, but we’ve created a system where an 18-year-old gets a free public education, and a 19-year-old has to negotiate this incredibly complex and expensive system.

Now that you mention it, that does feel like a pretty arbitrary cutoff for when we ensure someone’s education is publicly funded to when we basically throw them to the wolves.

Yeah, I mean, when I think about it, I think about this earlier moment in American history, about 100 years ago. It’s this period called the high school movement. So in about 1910, only about 10 percent of young Americans were graduating from high school.

And then there was this shift in the economy where suddenly there weren’t so many jobs on farms and in simple factories, and people needed more education. And the way that communities and the country as a whole responded to that shift in the economy was by saying, all right, sixth grade education isn’t enough; we need to create these institutions in our towns in our cities that will educate people up to age 18, and we’re going to build them together. We’re going to pay for them together. We’re going to raise our taxes in order to do this.

And what was created was this incredibly well-educated, for the time, American middle class that became the most powerful economy in the world. Now the country is getting the same sorts of signals where actually 100 years later, no surprise, education up to 18 is no longer enough. You do need more education in order to succeed in this technological economy.

And instead of saying, OK, let’s get together and create a free public education system that’s going to get people another few years of education so that they can compete in this economy, we have decided to just, as you put it, throw young people to the wolves and say it’s up to you to figure out how you’re going to get to the right kind of education and how you’re going to pay for it.

So, Paul, based on your reporting here, I wonder who you ultimately conclude is responsible for fixing this the most. Is it the colleges themselves, who have allowed their tuitions to balloon so much? Or is the responsibility with elected officials who hold the purse strings that could pump so much more money into these colleges and alleviate the debt that’s at the heart of why college is so unattractive right now?

Well, I think it’s a big enough problem that it is going to take lots of different actors to solve. But in the end, I do think it is really a political problem. I mean, it’s certainly true that we have these big political divisions, but in the end, this should be a nonpartisan issue. The economic problems of turning away from college like we are as a nation, those are going to affect Democrats and Republicans equally.

And so getting past that kind of political divide, turning college from this thing where it becomes part of your identity and part of your ideology to just something that is an economic fact, is something that young people really should do and have opportunities to do when they finish high school, shifting that kind of cultural idea I think would be the first step towards solving the political problem.

Well, Paul, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Here’s what else you need to know today.

For the second year in a row, this gathering dedicated to peaceful resolution of conflicts is darkened by the shadow of war.

In a speech before the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, President Biden sought to rally the world to stick with Ukraine in its 18-month long war against Russia, warning that appeasing Russia in any way would reward its aggression and encourage it to use further force to redraw the international map.

Russia believes that the world will grow weary and allow it to brutalize Ukraine without consequence. But I ask you this, if we abandon the core principles of the United States to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected? If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure? I respectfully suggest the answer is no.

In his own speech before the assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky picked up where Biden left off, warning the nations of the UN that should Ukraine fall, they could be next.

Many seats in the General Assembly Hall may become empty, empty if Russia succeeds with its treachery and aggression.

Today’s episode was produced by Michael Simon Johnson, Summer Thomad, and Carlos Prieto. It was edited by Devon Taylor and Lisa Chow, contains original music by Will Reid and Dan Powell, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow.

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Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Produced by Michael Simon Johnson ,  Summer Thomad and Carlos Prieto

Edited by Devon Taylor and Lisa Chow

Original music by Will Reid and Dan Powell

Engineered by Chris Wood

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New research and polling show that more and more Americans now doubt a previously unquestioned fact of U.S. life — that going to college is worth it.

Paul Tough, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, explains why so many high-school students and their parents are souring on higher education and what it will mean for the country’s future.

On today’s episode

Paul Tough , a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine who has written several books on inequality in education.

Background reading

Americans are losing faith in the value of college. Whose fault is that?

In December, Colby-Sawyer in New Hampshire reduced its tuition to $17,500 a year, from about $46,000. The cut was a recognition that few pay the list price .

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

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What is the College Essay? Your Complete Guide for 2023

Bonus Material: 30 College Essays That Worked

The college essay is one of the most important parts of your college application. 

As important as it is, however, it’s very different from the essays you’re used to writing in high school. 

From word count to genre, the college essay is in a category entirely of its own–and one that can be unfamiliar for most students applying to college.

So, what is the college essay? What role does it play in college admissions?

And, most importantly, how do you get started writing an amazing essay?

We answer all of these questions in this complete college essay guide. 

Plus, we give readers access to 30 college essays that earned applicants acceptance into the nation’s top colleges. They’re free and you can grab them below right now!

Download 30 College Essays That Worked

Here’s what we cover in this guide:

What is the College Essay?

• Our Expert Definition
• A College Essay That Worked
• The Essay’s Role in College Admissions

The 7 Common Challenges in Writing the College Essay

• How To Get Started Writing an Amazing Essay — 6 Tips
• Bonus: 30 College Essays That Worked

Most students will use the Common App to apply to U.S. colleges and universities. A smaller number of colleges require students to submit applications through Coalition .

Regardless, both platforms require students to submit a personal statement or essay response as part of their application. Students choose to respond to one of the following prompts in 650 words or fewer .

College Essay Prompts 2022-2023

What do these questions all have in common? They all require answers that are introspective, reflective, and personal. 

Take a look at some of these buzzwords from these prompts to see what we mean:

• Understanding
• Belief / Idea
• Contribution

These are big words attached to big, personal concepts. That’s the point!

But because that’s the case, that means the college essay is not an academic essay. It’s not something you write in five paragraphs for English class. Nor is it a formal statement, an outline of a resume, or a list of accomplishments.

It’s something else entirely.

Our Definition of the College Essay

How do we define the college essay? We’ll keep it short and sweet.

The college essay is a personal essay that tells an engaging story in 650 words or fewer. It is comparable to memoir or creative nonfiction writing, which relate the author’s personal experiences. 

The college essay is fundamentally personal and creative. It is rich with introspection, reflection, and statements of self-awareness. It can have elements of academic writing in it, such as logical organization, thesis statements, and transition words. But it is not an academic essay that fits comfortably into five paragraphs.

Your task with the college essay is to become a storyteller–and, in the process, provide admissions officers with a valuable glimpse into your world, perspective, and/or experiences.

Example of a College Essay That Worked

Take a look at this essay that earned its writer acceptance into Princeton. We won’t take a super deep dive into the components that make it great. 

But we do want to point out a handful of things that align with our definition of the college essay. This essay:

• Tells an engaging story
• Clearly conveys the author’s voice
• Is rich with introspection and reflection
• Provides insight into the author’s character, values, and perspective
• Is not an academic essay or list of accomplishments
• Is deeply personal

It also exemplifies the 7 qualities of a successful college essay .

Here’s the full essay:

“So long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being.” – Franz Kafka

Kafka, I’m afraid, has drastically overestimated the power of food. And though it pains me to undermine a statement by arguably the greatest writer of the 20 th century, I recognize it as a solemn duty. Perhaps Kafka has never sat, tongue wild in an effort to scrape residual peanut butter off his molars, and contemplated the almost ridiculous but nevertheless significant role of peanut butter in crafting his identity. Oh, did I just describe myself by accident? Without further ado, the questions (and lack of answers, I point out) that I contemplate with peanut butter in my mouth.

When I was three and a half years old, my tongue was not yet versed in the complex palate of my peers, consisting mainly of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. (It did not help my transition into pre-school that I did not speak English, but Russian and that my name, which had been hurriedly switched from Alya to Alex, was unpronounceable to me.) But it is most worth noting that I refused lunch for months, waited at the windowsill with tear-stained cheeks every day unless my mom left law school midday to bring my own comfort food: borscht, katlety, kampot.

I slowly assimilated into American culture, like most immigrant kids. I began to eat the peanut butter sandwiches at pre-school in the presence of my mom, and then did not need her altogether. She must have been elated that I was comfortable, that she could stay at school all day without worrying. She must have been destroyed when I waved her away the first time and told her I did not need her to come anymore.

I realized much later that the Russian food my mother brought me in pre-school made me comfortable enough to learn the language of the children there, to share their lunches, to make friends. Ironically, my Russian culture enabled the rise and dominance of American culture. When my parents wanted to visit their birthplace, my birthplace, Odessa, Ukraine, I rolled my eyes and proclaimed Disney Land, Florida. I rolled my eyes when I spoke too fast for my parents to understand. I rolled my eyes when I checked my mom’s grammar and when she argued with customer service in her thick Russian accent.

Peanut butter, and foods like it, represented not only my entrance into American culture, but the swift rejection of anything Russian that followed. Chicken noodle soup replaced borscht, meatballs replaced katlety, Sunny D triumphed over kampot. I became embarrassed by the snacks packed in my brown paper bag, begged for Cheetos, lime Jell-O cups, and that creamy spread between two damp pieces of Wonder Bread. My American identity tried to eclipse the Russian one altogether.

I realized later still that the identity battle I fought must have been more difficult to watch for my parents than it could have ever been for me to experience. They let me figure myself out, even though it meant I spent years rolling my eyes at them. Though I do not claim to have discovered a perfect balance of Russian and American, I would venture that a healthy start is eating peanut butter for lunch and katlety at dinner.

So, Kafka, I hope that next time a memorable quote comes to mind, you think before you speak. Because when peanut butter cleaves to the roof of my mouth, I think about what it means “to cleave:” both to adhere closely to and to divide, as if by a cutting blow, especially along a natural weakness. And I think about my dual identity, how the Russian side and American side simultaneously force each other apart and bring each other together. I think about my past, feeling a little ashamed, and about my present and future, asking how I can create harmony between these two sides of me. That, Kafka, does not sound like solved questions to me.

Want to read more essays that worked? Download our 30 college essays that earned their writers Ivy League acceptance for free below.

The College Essay’s Role in Admissions

In our post about what college admissions officers are looking for , we outline the Golden Rule of Admissions.

We also define “a student of exceptional potential.” In general, competitive applicants to top U.S. colleges and universities exemplify three pillars:

• Character and personal values
• Extracurricular distinction
• Academic achievement

Admissions officers have a lot at their disposal when it comes to assessing extracurricular distinction and academic achievement. They’ve got transcripts, test scores, resumes, and letters of recommendation. 

But how do they assess character and personal values?

A recent survey of admissions officers revealed some interesting answers to this question.

Source : National Association for College Admissions Counseling

Notice how an overwhelming 87% of officers surveyed reported that they infer character and personal qualities of an applicant from the content of the college essay!

The Common Data Set for individual colleges further supports this notion that officers infer character and values through the college essay, teacher recommendations, and other application components. The CDS for Cornell , for example, reveals that the application essay and character/personal qualities are “very important” in admission decisions.

What’s more, the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly altered the college application landscape by introducing some serious inequity in the realm of extracurricular activities, academics, and general access. 

Many admissions officers have stressed their focus on character and personal values (more qualitative components) in recent admissions cycles as a result.

Schools are hungry for as much material as possible that they can use to assess students’ character and values! This is one of the reasons why many top colleges require applicants to answer supplemental essay questions — ones in addition to the college essay. These essays can range from 50-650 words, and many colleges have more than one.

For example, Princeton requires applicants to respond to six supplemental essay questions . Here’s one of them from the 2022-2023 admissions cycle:

At Princeton, we value diverse perspectives and the ability to have respectful dialogue about difficult issues. Share a time when you had a conversation with a person or a group of people about a difficult topic. What insight did you gain, and how would you incorporate that knowledge into your thinking in the future?

So how important is the college essay in the application process?

Princeton’s former Dean of Admissions summed it up nicely with this quote about the college essay in a conversation with the New York Times :

Your ability to write well is critical to our decision because your writing reflects your thinking. No matter what question is asked on a college application, admission officers are looking to see how well you convey your ideas and express yourself in writing. It is our window to your world.

Now that you know what the college essay is and how it influences college admissions, let’s discuss the challenges in writing it. This list isn’t comprehensive, but it does compile some of the most common challenges most students face when preparing to write their personal statement.

Challenge #1: The Pressure

The college essay is integral to the college admissions process. It’s only likely to carry more weight in coming admission cycles in the wake of COVID-19 .

There is immense pressure on students to write essays that will make them competitive in admissions! This essay can also very much feel like uncharted territory for students given their lack of experience in the world of personal writing. This pressure can become a veritable roadblock in writing the college essay.

Challenge #2: What’s Introspection?

Successful college essays are deeply personal and full of introspection. We define introspection as reflection on what’s important in your life — values, beliefs, opinions, experiences, etc. It also can have a lot to do with what makes you you .

To some students, introspection might come naturally. To others, it might not! This is understandable. The high school classroom doesn’t necessarily give space for students to reflect on what they’ve learned from certain experiences or what they believe are their core values. However, this is exactly what admissions officers are looking for in essays!

Challenge #3: You Just Don’t Write Personal Essays in School

Most English classes spend a lot of time on the academic essay . But most don’t include many units on writing personal essays or creative nonfiction–if any!

Many students writing the college essay thus face an entirely unfamiliar genre that comes with its own word limit, structure, and style of writing.

Challenge #4: The Word Limit

Both the Common App and Coalition require students to limit their essays to 650 words. That’s a little over a page of writing, single-spaced.

This means that students have to be incredibly concise in crafting their responses. This can be a tall order given what the college essay often includes: big ideas, big themes, and big reflection!

Challenge #5: Choosing a Topic

Given the college essay’s requirements, it can be tough to choose the “right” topic . Should you discuss an extracurricular activity ? Personal experience? An important mentorship figure?

Some students have a wide variety of experiences and personal stories to choose from. Others might feel that they have a limited number.

Challenge #6: Choosing a Structure

Let’s say that you’ve chosen your college essay topic. Now how do you fit it into a concise structure that gives ample air space to what college admissions officers are looking for?

Choosing a structure can be critical for telling your specific story in a compelling fashion. But once again, this is unfamiliar terrain for most students who haven’t really written a personal essay before.

And when we say that structure really is critical for college essay writing, we mean it–we’ve written an entire post on college essay structure .

Challenge #7: Getting Started

Last but not least, it can be incredibly difficult simply to start the college essay writing process. From choosing a topic to writing that first draft, there’s a lot to navigate. Many students also have a lot going on in general when they get around to writing their essays, including AP exams, summer programs , and the chaos of senior fall schedules.

If this sounds like where you’re at in the college essay writing journey, keep reading. We’ve got 6 tips coming up to help you take those first steps.

How To Write an Amazing College Essay – 6 Tips

You’ve learned what a college essay is and the weight it carries in college admissions. You’ve also heard a bit about what makes this essay challenging. Now what?

It’s time to get started writing your very own. 

The following tips are designed to help you begin the journey towards an amazing college essay, regardless of your story, college aspirations, or timeline. Let’s dive in.

Tip #1: Give Yourself Time & Get Organized

Good college essays take time, and we mean time . We recommend that students establish a generous timeline for writing their personal statements. Ideally, students should start thinking about their essays seriously in the spring of their junior year or summer immediately following.

It’s also important to get organized. Create separate documents for brainstorming and free-writes, for example, and clearly mark your drafts based on where you’re at in the writing process.

We also recommend researching supplemental essay prompts for the colleges on your list and keeping track of these–including deadlines and word limits–in a spreadsheet. This is especially important for students applying early.

Tip #2: Practice Introspection

You can start flexing your introspective muscles before writing your essay! Practice journaling, for example, or responding to daily reflective prompts like the following:

• What is your greatest strength? Weakness?
• What is one of your core beliefs? Why is it core?
• What is your best quality?
• What matters to you? Why?
• What challenges you? Why?

The New York Times has even released 1,000 free writing prompts for students that range from identity and family to social life and technology.

With introspection, focus on using “I” as much as possible. This can feel awkward, especially as most English teachers encourage students to avoid using “I” in academic essays. But it’s the key to deep reflection.

You can also check out our post on College Essay Brainstorming or download 30 FREE college essay brainstorming questions right here.

Tip #3: Familiarize Yourself with Personal Writing & Storytelling

Immerse yourself in examples of powerful personal writing and storytelling. A great place to start is by downloading our 30 examples of college essays that earned students Ivy League acceptance or checking out our 11 College Essays That Worked post .

Otherwise, check out memoirs or creative essay collections.

The Moth , a storytelling radio project, is another great resource for students looking to learn more about how people tell personal stories in an engaging fashion. Plus, it’s just plain fun to listen to!

Tip #4: Know What Makes for An Amazing Essay

What qualities do most successful college essays have?

We’ve done the research. A successful college essay is often:

• Introspective and reflective
• Full of a student’s voice
• Descriptive and engaging
• Unconventional and distinct
• Well-written

We take a deeper dive into these 7 qualities of a successful college essay in a separate post.

Tip #5: Review Supplemental Essay Questions

Don’t forget about supplemental essay questions! It’s easy to overlook these or assume that they are less important than the college essay.

But remember–many colleges require supplemental essays as a means of gaining more information about competitive applicants. The Common App and Coalition also now have optional COVID-19 essay questions (learn our tips for answering these COVID-related questions here ).

Don’t save your supplemental essays for the last minute! Review questions well in advance through the Common App or Coalition platform so that you are aware of the other responses you’ll have to write.

We’ve actually compiled the supplemental essay questions for the top 50 U.S. colleges and universities right here.

You can also check out our 8 tips for writing amazing supplemental essay responses .

Tip #6: Work with a Mentor

Yes, it is possible to write your college essay, personal as it is, under the right one-on-one guidance. Mentors can help you with all stages of the college essay writing process, from topic brainstorms to final draft polishing.

They can also help create an actionable timeline for tackling both the college essay and all of those supplements, and hold students accountable!

You can sign up to work with one of PrepMaven’s master essay consultants if you’d like. Or check out our summer College Essay Workshops .

One of the best ways to start the college essay writing process is to look at examples of successful essays. But these examples can be hard to find, and few and far between.

That’s why we compiled 30 college essays that earned their writers acceptance into Ivy League schools. You can download these examples for FREE below.

Kate is a graduate of Princeton University. Over the last decade, Kate has successfully mentored hundreds of students in all aspects of the college admissions process, including the SAT, ACT, and college application essay. 

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The Value of Higher Education: Is College Worth it?

A college education is an essential stepping stone to a successful career and a fulfilling life. While many people debate the value of a college education in today’s economy, a college education is a crucial investment that can transform one’s life in countless ways. The benefits of a college education go beyond a job or career; it impacts personal development, civic engagement and overall well-being.

In this guide, we’ll dive deep into the career advancement and salary opportunities available for individuals pursuing a college education. In addition, we’ll take a close look at all of the ways a college student can grow personally, from a health, social and economic standpoint.

Ready to start your journey to college? Crimson Education is the world’s leading College Admissions Consulting company helping student gain admissions into top universities in the US & UK. Speak to our expert advisors to learn more about our Admissions Support Program !

Advantages of a College Degree

One of the main reasons people pursue higher education is to increase their earning potential and career opportunities. Studies have consistently shown that college graduates have higher earnings and more career advancement opportunities than those without a college degree. A college education provides specialized skills and knowledge that are highly valued in the workforce.

Additionally, college graduates have access to a larger professional network, which can lead to more job opportunities and career advancement . In this regard, a college degree can be a valuable investment in one's future, providing a path to higher earning potential and greater job satisfaction. Here’s a closer look at the economic and career opportunities available for college graduates:

Increased Job Opportunities

A college degree opens up more job opportunities than a high school diploma alone. Many employers require a college degree for certain positions, and a degree can make candidates more competitive in the job market.

Higher Earning Potential

One of the most significant benefits of obtaining a college degree is the higher earning potential it provides. College graduates tend to earn more than those with only a high school diploma, and this trend holds across various professions and industries.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , in 2021, the median weekly earnings for workers with a bachelor's degree was $1,334, compared to $899 for those with a high school diploma only. Furthermore, individuals with an advanced degree, such as a master's or doctoral degree, tend to earn even more.

The higher earning potential of college graduates can be attributed to several factors. First, college graduates have specialized knowledge and skills that are highly valued in the workforce. They are trained to think critically, analyze complex problems, and communicate effectively, all of which are skills that are in high demand across various industries.

Second, many employers require a college degree for certain positions, especially those that involve complex tasks or require specialized knowledge. Therefore, having a college degree makes candidates more competitive in the job market and increases their chances of being hired.

Specialized Skills

Obtaining a college degree provides graduates with specialized skills and knowledge that are highly valued in the workforce. These skills and knowledge are developed through coursework, hands-on experience, and exposure to various learning environments.

Some of the specialized skills that college graduates possess include:

• Critical thinking and problem-solving : College graduates are trained to analyze complex problems, identify potential solutions, and make informed decisions.
• Communication skills : College graduates have honed their written and verbal communication skills, which are essential in many professional settings.
• Technical skills : Depending on the degree program, college graduates may have specialized technical skills that are in high demand, such as computer programming, data analysis, or engineering.
• Leadership skills : College graduates often have experience working in teams and leading projects, which can be valuable in management and leadership positions.
• Adaptability : College graduates are trained to adapt to changing environments and situations, which is essential in today's rapidly evolving job market.
• Cultural competency : College graduates are exposed to a diverse range of cultures and ideas, which can enhance their ability to work with people from different backgrounds.

Having specialized skills can make college graduates more attractive to employers and increase their chances of being hired for certain positions. These skills can also lead to higher salaries, as many employers are willing to pay a premium for specialized expertise.

Networking is an essential aspect of career development, and obtaining a college degree provides graduates with a valuable network of contacts. College graduates have access to a vast network of alumni, professors, classmates, and professionals in their field, which can provide numerous benefits throughout their careers.

Networking can lead to job opportunities, as many employers prefer to hire candidates through referrals. Building relationships with professionals in your field can help you learn about job openings before they are publicly advertised, giving you an advantage in the job market.

Career Advancement Opportunities

Obtaining a college degree can open up numerous career advancement opportunities for graduates. A college degree provides specialized knowledge and skills that can make graduates more competitive in the job market and eligible for higher-paying positions with greater responsibility and leadership opportunities.

A college degree can provide graduates with the opportunity to switch careers, as they have the skills and knowledge needed to transition to a new field. In addition, graduates with specialized skills and knowledge can also pursue industry certifications, which can increase their credibility and open up new career opportunities.

Increased Job Satisfaction

College graduates often work in fields they are passionate about, which can lead to greater job satisfaction. By pursuing their interests and passions, they are more likely to find fulfillment in their work. In addition, college graduates are often eligible for jobs with greater job security, such as those in government, education, or healthcare. Having a stable job can lead to greater job satisfaction, as employees feel more secure in their position.

Social Mobility and Economic Stability

College education can expose individuals to diverse perspectives, cultures, and ideas, which can broaden their understanding and empathy for others. This can help individuals develop stronger relationships, build social capital, and navigate social and economic barriers. However, that’s not all that a college education can help support social mobility. College can provide individuals with networking opportunities that can lead to job opportunities, mentorship, and access to resources that can help them move up the social and economic ladder.

In addition, a college education can provide individuals with access to a broader range of career opportunities, including those that require specialized skills and knowledge. This can lead to career advancement, which can provide individuals with greater social mobility.

As a result of a broader range of career opportunities, college graduates tend to have greater resilience to economic downturns, as they may have more skills, education, and experience to adapt to changing economic conditions. Also, college courses often include personal finance education, which can provide students with the knowledge and skills to manage their finances effectively, including budgeting, saving, investing, and managing debt. This can lead to greater financial stability and security over the long term, leading college graduates to have more economic stability.

Personal Development and Fulfillment

A college education can contribute to personal development and fulfillment through intellectual growth, self-discovery, personal growth, social connections, and a love of lifelong learning. This is because a college education can facilitate personal growth through experiences that challenge individuals to step outside of their comfort zones, take risks, and learn from their mistakes.

As a student works towards obtaining their degree, their time in college can be a time of self-discovery as individuals explore their interests, values, and beliefs. This can help individuals develop a sense of identity and purpose and make informed decisions about their personal and professional lives.

In addition, many colleges provide opportunities for social connections and community building, which can lead to a sense of belonging and fulfillment. The opportunities colleges provide for personal development can include participation in student organizations , cultural events, and community service.

Health and Well-Being

While not many people think about the ways a college can support an individual’s health and well-being, pursuing a college education can play a key role in a student’s life-long well-being.

Many colleges and universities provide access to healthcare services, including medical care, mental health counseling, and wellness programs. In addition, a college education can promote physical activity through organized sports programs, recreation facilities, and fitness classes.

In addition, a college education can provide a supportive environment for students through peer support networks, mentorship programs, and counseling services. A supportive environment can help students cope with challenges and promote overall well-being. Many campuses also promote stress management through stress reduction programs, mindfulness training, and counseling services.

Overcoming Challenges and Creating Opportunities

A college education is helpful for individuals looking to overcome challenges and create opportunities to flourish.

Pursuing a college education allows opportunities for innovating and creative solutions, which increases a student’s likelihood of success. A college education can expose individuals to diverse perspectives, cultures, and ideas, which can help them approach challenges and opportunities from multiple angles. College allows individuals to develop skills and exposure to diverse perspectives. These factors allow students to become more adaptable, resilient, and successful in the event of challenges.

Do you need a college degree to be successful?

If the answer to this question were a simple “yes,” then the decision to go to college would be easy. Many factors help make someone successful. But, for most successful people, college is one of those factors.

Is college necessary for a successful career?

Yes and no. College opens up opportunities both intellectually and socially that you wouldn’t have otherwise. You’re surrounded by a network of students and professionals from all walks of life. There’s a good chance one might be your connection to your future career.

As a college graduate, you’ll likely have better career prospects, higher pay, and a higher-skilled job. These factors often contribute to stability, success, and overall happiness.

Final Thoughts: Is college worth it?

Based on current evidence, trends, and statistics, yes, college is worth it . If you have a college degree, you should have an easier time finding, keeping, and enjoying your career. But, the ultimate decision is still up to you. If you’re still unsure if college is for you, consider contacting one of Crimson’s advisors. They can answer your questions, help you determine which college might be right for you, and guide you towards a path that will lead you to the career of your dreams.

Ready to start your education journey? Book a free consultation with our advisors to learn more about how Crimson can help you!

Key Resources & Further Reading

• Free College Admissions Advice Webinars
• College Admissions Calculator
• Benefits of an Ivy League Education
• How Can a College Admissions Counselor Help You with Your College Application?

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• Is College Worth It?

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1: Overview
• Chapter 2: Trends in College Enrollment, Completion, Cost and Debt
• Chapter 3: Public Views and Experiences
• Chapter 4: Views of College Presidents
• Chapter 5: The Monetary Value of a College Education
• Appendix 1: Survey Methodology

Executive Summary

This report is based on findings from a pair of Pew Research Center surveys conducted this spring. One is a telephone survey taken among a nationally representative sample of 2,142 adults ages 18 and older. The other is an online survey, done in association with the Chronicle of Higher Education , among the presidents of 1,055 two-year and four-year private, public, and for-profit colleges and universities. ( See a description of our survey methodology. )

Here is a summary of key findings:

Survey of the General Public

• Cost and Value. A majority of Americans (57%) say the higher education system in the United States fails to provide students with good value for the money they and their families spend. An even larger majority—75%—says college is too expensive for most Americans to afford. At the same time, however, an overwhelming majority of college graduates—86%—say that college has been a good investment for them personally.
• Monetary Payoff. Adults who graduated from a four-year college believe that, on average, they are earning $20,000 more a year as a result of having gotten that degree. Adults who did not attend college believe that, on average, they are earning $20,000 a year less as a result. These matched estimates by the public are very close to the median gap in annual earnings between a high school and college graduate as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2010: $19,550. A more detailed Pew Research Center analysis ( see Chapter 5 ) shows that this gap varies by type of degree and field of study.
• Student Loans. A record share of students are leaving college with a substantial debt burden, and among those who do, about half (48%) say that paying off that debt made it harder to pay other bills; a quarter say it has made it harder to buy a home (25%); and about a quarter say it has had an impact on their career choices (24%).
• Why Not College? Nearly every parent surveyed (94%) says they expect their child to attend college, but even as college enrollments have reached record levels, most young adults in this country still do not attend a four-year college. The main barrier is financial. Among adults ages 18 to 34 who are not in school and do not have a bachelor’s degree, two-thirds say a major reason for not continuing their education is the need to support a family. Also, 57% say they would prefer to work and make money; and 48% say they can’t afford to go to college.
• Split Views of College Mission. Just under half of the public (47%) says the main purpose of a college education is to teach work-related skills and knowledge, while 39% say it is to help a student grow personally and intellectually; the remainder volunteer that both missions are equally important. College graduates place more emphasis on intellectual growth; those who are not college graduates place more emphasis on career preparation.
• For Most College Graduates, Missions Accomplished. Among survey respondents who graduated from a four-year college, 74% say their college education was very useful in helping them grow intellectually; 69% say it was very useful in helping them grow and mature as a person; and 55% say it was very useful in helping them prepare for a job or career.
• Above All, Character. While Americans value college, they value character even more. Asked what it takes for a young person to succeed in the world, 61% say a good work ethic is extremely important and 57% say the same about knowing how to get along with people. Just 42% say the same about a college education.

Survey of Presidents

• Right or Wrong Direction? Six-in-ten college presidents say the system of higher education in this country is headed in the right direction, but a substantial minority—38%—say it is headed in the wrong direction.
• Declining Student Quality. A majority of college presidents (58%) say public high school students arrive at college less well prepared than their counterparts of a decade ago; just 6% say they are better prepared. Also, 52% of presidents say college students today study less than their predecessors did a decade ago; just 7% say they study more.

Interactive

Explore the attitudes of the public and of college presidents about the value, cost, quality, mission and payoff of higher education.

• We’re Not Number One. Only 19% of college presidents say the U.S. system of higher education is the best in the world now, and just 7% say they believe it will be the best in the world ten years from now. Most presidents —51%—describe the U.S. system as one of the best in the world.
• Doubts about Achieving Obama’s Goal. Nearly two-thirds of college presidents (64%) say it is unlikely that, by 2020, the U.S. will achieve the goal set by President Obama to have the highest share of young adults with a college degree or certificate of any country in the world.
• Who Should Pay? Nearly two-thirds of college presidents (63%) say students and their families should pay the largest share of the cost of a college education. Just 48% of the public agrees. An equal share of the public would prefer that the bulk of the cost of a college education be borne by the federal government, state governments, private endowments or some combination.
• Split Views of College Mission. Presidents are evenly divided about the main role colleges play in students’ lives: Half say it is to help them mature and grow intellectually, while 48% say it is to provide skills, knowledge and training to help them succeed in the working world. Most heads of four-year colleges and universities emphasize the former; most heads of two-year and for-profit schools emphasize the latter.
• Measuring Grade Inflation: Just over a quarter (27%) of college presidents say that the faculty at their own institution grades students too leniently. Only 1% says they grade students too stringently. The vast majority (73%) says students are graded about right.
• Scant Enthusiasm for Faculty Tenure. Only a quarter (24%) of presidents say that, if given a choice, they would prefer that most faculty at their institution be tenured. About seven-in-ten say they would prefer that faculty be employed on annual or long term contracts.

About the Surveys

This report is largely based on findings from two Pew Research Center surveys conducted in the spring of 2011.

The general public survey (GP) is based on telephone interviews conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,142 adults ages 18 and older living in the continental United States, including an oversample of 336 adults ages 18-34. A total of 1,052 interviews were completed with respondents contacted by landline telephone and 1,090 with those contacted on their cellular phone. The data are weighted to produce a final sample that is representative of the general population of adults in the continental United States. Survey interviews were conducted under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates International, in English and Spanish. For more details, see Appendix 1.

• Interviews conducted March 15-29, 2011
• 2,142 interviews
• Margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.7 percentage points for results based on the total sample and 4.5 percentage points for adults 18 to 34 years old at the 95% confidence level.

The college presidents survey (P) is based on a web survey conducted with 1,055 college and university presidents in the U.S. The survey was designed by the Pew Research Center in association with the Chronicle of Higher Education. Overall, 1,022 interviews were completed online and 33 interviews were completed by phone (for the presidents who requested being interviewed by phone). The college and university presidents surveyed are from four major sectors: 1) private four-year colleges and universities; 2) public four-year colleges and universities; 3) two-year public and private colleges; 4) four-year and two-year for-profit colleges and universities. The data were weighted to correct for disproportionate non-response that might bias sample estimates. The weighting accounts for both the institution type and geographic distribution of the colleges and universities eligible to take part in the survey. Survey interviews were conducted in English under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates International. For more details, see Appendix 1.

• Interviews conducted March 15-April 24, 2011
• 1,055 interviews
• Margin of error is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level for results based on the total sample, 4.8 percentage points for presidents of four-year public universities, 3.8 percentage points for presidents of four-year private universities, 4.6 percentage points for presidents of two-year colleges (public or private), and 11.3 percentage points for presidents of private for-profit colleges and universities.

Notes on Terminology

Unless otherwise noted, “college graduates” refers to those who graduated from a four-year college and hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

In referring to institutions of higher education, the terms “school,” “institution,” “college” and “university” are used interchangeably, except that “university” does not apply to two-year institutions.

“Private college” refers to private (as opposed to public) not-for-profit (NFP) colleges and universities. This term is not intended to apply to private, for-profit colleges.

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Your Best College Essay

Maybe you love to write, or maybe you don’t. Either way, there’s a chance that the thought of writing your college essay is making you sweat. No need for nerves! We’re here to give you the important details on how to make the process as anxiety-free as possible.

What's the College Essay?

When we say “The College Essay” (capitalization for emphasis – say it out loud with the capitals and you’ll know what we mean) we’re talking about the 550-650 word essay required by most colleges and universities. Prompts for this essay can be found on the college’s website, the Common Application, or the Coalition Application. We’re not talking about the many smaller supplemental essays you might need to write in order to apply to college. Not all institutions require the essay, but most colleges and universities that are at least semi-selective do.

How do I get started?

Look for the prompts on whatever application you’re using to apply to schools (almost all of the time – with a few notable exceptions – this is the Common Application). If one of them calls out to you, awesome! You can jump right in and start to brainstorm. If none of them are giving you the right vibes, don’t worry. They’re so broad that almost anything you write can fit into one of the prompts after you’re done. Working backwards like this is totally fine and can be really useful!

What if I have writer's block?

You aren’t alone. Staring at a blank Google Doc and thinking about how this is the one chance to tell an admissions officer your story can make you freeze. Thinking about some of these questions might help you find the right topic:

• What is something about you that people have pointed out as distinctive?
• If you had to pick three words to describe yourself, what would they be? What are things you’ve done that demonstrate these qualities?
• What’s something about you that has changed over your years in high school? How or why did it change?
• What’s something you like most about yourself?
• What’s something you love so much that you lose track of the rest of the world while you do it?

If you’re still stuck on a topic, ask your family members, friends, or other trusted adults: what’s something they always think about when they think about you? What’s something they think you should be proud of? They might help you find something about yourself that you wouldn’t have surfaced on your own.  

How do I grab my reader's attention?

It’s no secret that admissions officers are reading dozens – and sometimes hundreds – of essays every day. That can feel like a lot of pressure to stand out. But if you try to write the most unique essay in the world, it might end up seeming forced if it’s not genuinely you. So, what’s there to do? Our advice: start your essay with a story. Tell the reader about something you’ve done, complete with sensory details, and maybe even dialogue. Then, in the second paragraph, back up and tell us why this story is important and what it tells them about you and the theme of the essay.

THE WORD LIMIT IS SO LIMITING. HOW DO I TELL A COLLEGE MY WHOLE LIFE STORY IN 650 WORDS?

Don’t! Don’t try to tell an admissions officer about everything you’ve loved and done since you were a child. Instead, pick one or two things about yourself that you’re hoping to get across and stick to those. They’ll see the rest on the activities section of your application.

I'M STUCK ON THE CONCLUSION. HELP?

If you can’t think of another way to end the essay, talk about how the qualities you’ve discussed in your essays have prepared you for college. Try to wrap up with a sentence that refers back to the story you told in your first paragraph, if you took that route.

SHOULD I PROOFREAD MY ESSAY?

YES, proofread the essay, and have a trusted adult proofread it as well. Know that any suggestions they give you are coming from a good place, but make sure they aren’t writing your essay for you or putting it into their own voice. Admissions officers want to hear the voice of you, the applicant. Before you submit your essay anywhere, our number one advice is to read it out loud to yourself. When you read out loud you’ll catch small errors you may not have noticed before, and hear sentences that aren’t quite right.

ANY OTHER ADVICE?

Be yourself. If you’re not a naturally serious person, don’t force formality. If you’re the comedian in your friend group, go ahead and be funny. But ultimately, write as your authentic (and grammatically correct) self and trust the process.

And remember, thousands of other students your age are faced with this same essay writing task, right now. You can do it!

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, getting college essay help: important do's and don’ts.

College Essays

If you grow up to be a professional writer, everything you write will first go through an editor before being published. This is because the process of writing is really a process of re-writing —of rethinking and reexamining your work, usually with the help of someone else. So what does this mean for your student writing? And in particular, what does it mean for very important, but nonprofessional writing like your college essay? Should you ask your parents to look at your essay? Pay for an essay service?

If you are wondering what kind of help you can, and should, get with your personal statement, you've come to the right place! In this article, I'll talk about what kind of writing help is useful, ethical, and even expected for your college admission essay . I'll also point out who would make a good editor, what the differences between editing and proofreading are, what to expect from a good editor, and how to spot and stay away from a bad one.

Table of Contents

What Kind of Help for Your Essay Can You Get?

What's Good Editing?

What should an editor do for you, what kind of editing should you avoid, proofreading, what's good proofreading, what kind of proofreading should you avoid.

What Do Colleges Think Of You Getting Help With Your Essay?

Who Can/Should Help You?

Advice for editors.

Should You Pay Money For Essay Editing?

The Bottom Line

What's next, what kind of help with your essay can you get.

Rather than talking in general terms about "help," let's first clarify the two different ways that someone else can improve your writing . There is editing, which is the more intensive kind of assistance that you can use throughout the whole process. And then there's proofreading, which is the last step of really polishing your final product.

Let me go into some more detail about editing and proofreading, and then explain how good editors and proofreaders can help you."

Editing is helping the author (in this case, you) go from a rough draft to a finished work . Editing is the process of asking questions about what you're saying, how you're saying it, and how you're organizing your ideas. But not all editing is good editing . In fact, it's very easy for an editor to cross the line from supportive to overbearing and over-involved.

Ability to clarify assignments. A good editor is usually a good writer, and certainly has to be a good reader. For example, in this case, a good editor should make sure you understand the actual essay prompt you're supposed to be answering.

Open-endedness. Good editing is all about asking questions about your ideas and work, but without providing answers. It's about letting you stick to your story and message, and doesn't alter your point of view.

Think of an editor as a great travel guide. It can show you the many different places your trip could take you. It should explain any parts of the trip that could derail your trip or confuse the traveler. But it never dictates your path, never forces you to go somewhere you don't want to go, and never ignores your interests so that the trip no longer seems like it's your own. So what should good editors do?

Help Brainstorm Topics

Sometimes it's easier to bounce thoughts off of someone else. This doesn't mean that your editor gets to come up with ideas, but they can certainly respond to the various topic options you've come up with. This way, you're less likely to write about the most boring of your ideas, or to write about something that isn't actually important to you.

If you're wondering how to come up with options for your editor to consider, check out our guide to brainstorming topics for your college essay .

Help Revise Your Drafts

Here, your editor can't upset the delicate balance of not intervening too much or too little. It's tricky, but a great way to think about it is to remember: editing is about asking questions, not giving answers .

Revision questions should point out:

• Places where more detail or more description would help the reader connect with your essay
• Places where structure and logic don't flow, losing the reader's attention
• Places where there aren't transitions between paragraphs, confusing the reader
• Moments where your narrative or the arguments you're making are unclear

But pointing to potential problems is not the same as actually rewriting—editors let authors fix the problems themselves.

Bad editing is usually very heavy-handed editing. Instead of helping you find your best voice and ideas, a bad editor changes your writing into their own vision.

You may be dealing with a bad editor if they:

• Add material (examples, descriptions) that doesn't come from you
• Use a thesaurus to make your college essay sound "more mature"
• Add meaning or insight to the essay that doesn't come from you
• Tell you what to say and how to say it
• Write sentences, phrases, and paragraphs for you
• Change your voice in the essay so it no longer sounds like it was written by a teenager

Colleges can tell the difference between a 17-year-old's writing and a 50-year-old's writing. Not only that, they have access to your SAT or ACT Writing section, so they can compare your essay to something else you wrote. Writing that's a little more polished is great and expected. But a totally different voice and style will raise questions.

Where's the Line Between Helpful Editing and Unethical Over-Editing?

Sometimes it's hard to tell whether your college essay editor is doing the right thing. Here are some guidelines for staying on the ethical side of the line.

• An editor should say that the opening paragraph is kind of boring, and explain what exactly is making it drag. But it's overstepping for an editor to tell you exactly how to change it.
• An editor should point out where your prose is unclear or vague. But it's completely inappropriate for the editor to rewrite that section of your essay.
• An editor should let you know that a section is light on detail or description. But giving you similes and metaphors to beef up that description is a no-go.

Proofreading (also called copy-editing) is checking for errors in the last draft of a written work. It happens at the end of the process and is meant as the final polishing touch. Proofreading is meticulous and detail-oriented, focusing on small corrections. It sands off all the surface rough spots that could alienate the reader.

Because proofreading is usually concerned with making fixes on the word or sentence level, this is the only process where someone else can actually add to or take away things from your essay . This is because what they are adding or taking away tends to be one or two misplaced letters.

Laser focus. Proofreading is all about the tiny details, so the ability to really concentrate on finding small slip-ups is a must.

Excellent grammar and spelling skills. Proofreaders need to dot every "i" and cross every "t." Good proofreaders should correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. They should put foreign words in italics and surround quotations with quotation marks. They should check that you used the correct college's name, and that you adhered to any formatting requirements (name and date at the top of the page, uniform font and size, uniform spacing).

Limited interference. A proofreader needs to make sure that you followed any word limits. But if cuts need to be made to shorten the essay, that's your job and not the proofreader's.

A bad proofreader either tries to turn into an editor, or just lacks the skills and knowledge necessary to do the job.

Some signs that you're working with a bad proofreader are:

• If they suggest making major changes to the final draft of your essay. Proofreading happens when editing is already finished.
• If they aren't particularly good at spelling, or don't know grammar, or aren't detail-oriented enough to find someone else's small mistakes.
• If they start swapping out your words for fancier-sounding synonyms, or changing the voice and sound of your essay in other ways. A proofreader is there to check for errors, not to take the 17-year-old out of your writing.

What Do Colleges Think of Your Getting Help With Your Essay?

Admissions officers agree: light editing and proofreading are good—even required ! But they also want to make sure you're the one doing the work on your essay. They want essays with stories, voice, and themes that come from you. They want to see work that reflects your actual writing ability, and that focuses on what you find important.

On the Importance of Editing

Get feedback. Have a fresh pair of eyes give you some feedback. Don't allow someone else to rewrite your essay, but do take advantage of others' edits and opinions when they seem helpful. ( Bates College )

Read your essay aloud to someone. Reading the essay out loud offers a chance to hear how your essay sounds outside your head. This exercise reveals flaws in the essay's flow, highlights grammatical errors and helps you ensure that you are communicating the exact message you intended. ( Dickinson College )

On the Value of Proofreading

Share your essays with at least one or two people who know you well—such as a parent, teacher, counselor, or friend—and ask for feedback. Remember that you ultimately have control over your essays, and your essays should retain your own voice, but others may be able to catch mistakes that you missed and help suggest areas to cut if you are over the word limit. ( Yale University )

Proofread and then ask someone else to proofread for you. Although we want substance, we also want to be able to see that you can write a paper for our professors and avoid careless mistakes that would drive them crazy. ( Oberlin College )

On Watching Out for Too Much Outside Influence

Limit the number of people who review your essay. Too much input usually means your voice is lost in the writing style. ( Carleton College )

Ask for input (but not too much). Your parents, friends, guidance counselors, coaches, and teachers are great people to bounce ideas off of for your essay. They know how unique and spectacular you are, and they can help you decide how to articulate it. Keep in mind, however, that a 45-year-old lawyer writes quite differently from an 18-year-old student, so if your dad ends up writing the bulk of your essay, we're probably going to notice. ( Vanderbilt University )

Now let's talk about some potential people to approach for your college essay editing and proofreading needs. It's best to start close to home and slowly expand outward. Not only are your family and friends more invested in your success than strangers, but they also have a better handle on your interests and personality. This knowledge is key for judging whether your essay is expressing your true self.

Parents or Close Relatives

Your family may be full of potentially excellent editors! Parents are deeply committed to your well-being, and family members know you and your life well enough to offer details or incidents that can be included in your essay. On the other hand, the rewriting process necessarily involves criticism, which is sometimes hard to hear from someone very close to you.

A parent or close family member is a great choice for an editor if you can answer "yes" to the following questions. Is your parent or close relative a good writer or reader? Do you have a relationship where editing your essay won't create conflict? Are you able to constructively listen to criticism and suggestion from the parent?

One suggestion for defusing face-to-face discussions is to try working on the essay over email. Send your parent a draft, have them write you back some comments, and then you can pick which of their suggestions you want to use and which to discard.

Teachers or Tutors

A humanities teacher that you have a good relationship with is a great choice. I am purposefully saying humanities, and not just English, because teachers of Philosophy, History, Anthropology, and any other classes where you do a lot of writing, are all used to reviewing student work.

Moreover, any teacher or tutor that has been working with you for some time, knows you very well and can vet the essay to make sure it "sounds like you."

If your teacher or tutor has some experience with what college essays are supposed to be like, ask them to be your editor. If not, then ask whether they have time to proofread your final draft.

Guidance or College Counselor at Your School

The best thing about asking your counselor to edit your work is that this is their job. This means that they have a very good sense of what colleges are looking for in an application essay.

At the same time, school counselors tend to have relationships with admissions officers in many colleges, which again gives them insight into what works and which college is focused on what aspect of the application.

Unfortunately, in many schools the guidance counselor tends to be way overextended. If your ratio is 300 students to 1 college counselor, you're unlikely to get that person's undivided attention and focus. It is still useful to ask them for general advice about your potential topics, but don't expect them to be able to stay with your essay from first draft to final version.

Friends, Siblings, or Classmates

Although they most likely don't have much experience with what colleges are hoping to see, your peers are excellent sources for checking that your essay is you .

Friends and siblings are perfect for the read-aloud edit. Read your essay to them so they can listen for words and phrases that are stilted, pompous, or phrases that just don't sound like you.

You can even trade essays and give helpful advice on each other's work.

If your editor hasn't worked with college admissions essays very much, no worries! Any astute and attentive reader can still greatly help with your process. But, as in all things, beginners do better with some preparation.

First, your editor should read our advice about how to write a college essay introduction , how to spot and fix a bad college essay , and get a sense of what other students have written by going through some admissions essays that worked .

Then, as they read your essay, they can work through the following series of questions that will help them to guide you.

Introduction Questions

• Is the first sentence a killer opening line? Why or why not?
• Does the introduction hook the reader? Does it have a colorful, detailed, and interesting narrative? Or does it propose a compelling or surprising idea?
• Can you feel the author's voice in the introduction, or is the tone dry, dull, or overly formal? Show the places where the voice comes through.

Essay Body Questions

• Does the essay have a through-line? Is it built around a central argument, thought, idea, or focus? Can you put this idea into your own words?
• How is the essay organized? By logical progression? Chronologically? Do you feel order when you read it, or are there moments where you are confused or lose the thread of the essay?
• Does the essay have both narratives about the author's life and explanations and insight into what these stories reveal about the author's character, personality, goals, or dreams? If not, which is missing?
• Does the essay flow? Are there smooth transitions/clever links between paragraphs? Between the narrative and moments of insight?

Reader Response Questions

• Does the writer's personality come through? Do we know what the speaker cares about? Do we get a sense of "who he or she is"?
• Where did you feel most connected to the essay? Which parts of the essay gave you a "you are there" sensation by invoking your senses? What moments could you picture in your head well?
• Where are the details and examples vague and not specific enough?
• Did you get an "a-ha!" feeling anywhere in the essay? Is there a moment of insight that connected all the dots for you? Is there a good reveal or "twist" anywhere in the essay?
• What are the strengths of this essay? What needs the most improvement?

Should You Pay Money for Essay Editing?

One alternative to asking someone you know to help you with your college essay is the paid editor route. There are two different ways to pay for essay help: a private essay coach or a less personal editing service , like the many proliferating on the internet.

My advice is to think of these options as a last resort rather than your go-to first choice. I'll first go through the reasons why. Then, if you do decide to go with a paid editor, I'll help you decide between a coach and a service.

When to Consider a Paid Editor

In general, I think hiring someone to work on your essay makes a lot of sense if none of the people I discussed above are a possibility for you.

If you can't ask your parents. For example, if your parents aren't good writers, or if English isn't their first language. Or if you think getting your parents to help is going create unnecessary extra conflict in your relationship with them (applying to college is stressful as it is!)

If you can't ask your teacher or tutor. Maybe you don't have a trusted teacher or tutor that has time to look over your essay with focus. Or, for instance, your favorite humanities teacher has very limited experience with college essays and so won't know what admissions officers want to see.

If you can't ask your guidance counselor. This could be because your guidance counselor is way overwhelmed with other students.

If you can't share your essay with those who know you. It might be that your essay is on a very personal topic that you're unwilling to share with parents, teachers, or peers. Just make sure it doesn't fall into one of the bad-idea topics in our article on bad college essays .

If the cost isn't a consideration. Many of these services are quite expensive, and private coaches even more so. If you have finite resources, I'd say that hiring an SAT or ACT tutor (whether it's PrepScholar or someone else) is better way to spend your money . This is because there's no guarantee that a slightly better essay will sufficiently elevate the rest of your application, but a significantly higher SAT score will definitely raise your applicant profile much more.

Should You Hire an Essay Coach?

On the plus side, essay coaches have read dozens or even hundreds of college essays, so they have experience with the format. Also, because you'll be working closely with a specific person, it's more personal than sending your essay to a service, which will know even less about you.

But, on the minus side, you'll still be bouncing ideas off of someone who doesn't know that much about you . In general, if you can adequately get the help from someone you know, there is no advantage to paying someone to help you.

If you do decide to hire a coach, ask your school counselor, or older students that have used the service for recommendations. If you can't afford the coach's fees, ask whether they can work on a sliding scale —many do. And finally, beware those who guarantee admission to your school of choice—essay coaches don't have any special magic that can back up those promises.

Should You Send Your Essay to a Service?

On the plus side, essay editing services provide a similar product to essay coaches, and they cost significantly less . If you have some assurance that you'll be working with a good editor, the lack of face-to-face interaction won't prevent great results.

On the minus side, however, it can be difficult to gauge the quality of the service before working with them . If they are churning through many application essays without getting to know the students they are helping, you could end up with an over-edited essay that sounds just like everyone else's. In the worst case scenario, an unscrupulous service could send you back a plagiarized essay.

Getting recommendations from friends or a school counselor for reputable services is key to avoiding heavy-handed editing that writes essays for you or does too much to change your essay. Including a badly-edited essay like this in your application could cause problems if there are inconsistencies. For example, in interviews it might be clear you didn't write the essay, or the skill of the essay might not be reflected in your schoolwork and test scores.

Should You Buy an Essay Written by Someone Else?

Let me elaborate. There are super sketchy places on the internet where you can simply buy a pre-written essay. Don't do this!

For one thing, you'll be lying on an official, signed document. All college applications make you sign a statement saying something like this:

I certify that all information submitted in the admission process—including the application, the personal essay, any supplements, and any other supporting materials—is my own work, factually true, and honestly presented... I understand that I may be subject to a range of possible disciplinary actions, including admission revocation, expulsion, or revocation of course credit, grades, and degree, should the information I have certified be false. (From the Common Application )

For another thing, if your academic record doesn't match the essay's quality, the admissions officer will start thinking your whole application is riddled with lies.

Admission officers have full access to your writing portion of the SAT or ACT so that they can compare work that was done in proctored conditions with that done at home. They can tell if these were written by different people. Not only that, but there are now a number of search engines that faculty and admission officers can use to see if an essay contains strings of words that have appeared in other essays—you have no guarantee that the essay you bought wasn't also bought by 50 other students.

• You should get college essay help with both editing and proofreading
• A good editor will ask questions about your idea, logic, and structure, and will point out places where clarity is needed
• A good editor will absolutely not answer these questions, give you their own ideas, or write the essay or parts of the essay for you
• A good proofreader will find typos and check your formatting
• All of them agree that getting light editing and proofreading is necessary
• Parents, teachers, guidance or college counselor, and peers or siblings
• If you can't ask any of those, you can pay for college essay help, but watch out for services or coaches who over-edit you work
• Don't buy a pre-written essay! Colleges can tell, and it'll make your whole application sound false.

Ready to start working on your essay? Check out our explanation of the point of the personal essay and the role it plays on your applications and then explore our step-by-step guide to writing a great college essay .

Using the Common Application for your college applications? We have an excellent guide to the Common App essay prompts and useful advice on how to pick the Common App prompt that's right for you . Wondering how other people tackled these prompts? Then work through our roundup of over 130 real college essay examples published by colleges .

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Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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Is College Worth It?

Marisol Cuellar Mejia , Cesar Alesi Perez , Vicki Hsieh , and Hans Johnson

Supported with funding from the California Endowment

Table of Contents

• Introduction

College is a good investment

College graduates get higher-quality jobs, college graduates fare better during recessions, still, college is more expensive than ever, but most students don’t pay the sticker price, public college students have less debt, public and nonprofit colleges are a better financial bet, finishing a degree is important, majors matter for future earnings, wage inequities persist, society benefits from higher education, more students need a chance at college, additional figure notes, we explore whether the benefits of a college degree outweigh the costs..

Although most California parents want their children to graduate from college with at least a bachelor’s degree, roughly three-quarters worry about being able to afford a college education . Sticker shock and an understandable reluctance to take on debt lead many students and parents alike to wonder if college will actually yield higher earnings, better jobs, and a brighter future down the road.

Today’s labor market increasingly rewards highly educated workers: In 1990, a worker with a bachelor’s degree earned 39 percent more than one whose highest level of education was a high school diploma. By 2021, the difference had grown to 62 percent (and closer to 90% for workers with graduate degrees).

Currently, California workers with a bachelor’s degree earn a median annual wage of $81,000. In contrast, only 6 percent of workers with less than a high school diploma earn that much (12% of those with at most a high school diploma). Over time, the higher incomes of college graduates accumulate into much higher levels of wealth , with graduates having more than three times as much wealth as households with less-educated adults.

Beyond wage gains, the job market favors college graduates in other ways as well. Graduates are more likely to participate in the labor force, less likely to be unemployed, and more likely to have full-time jobs. Among full-time workers, college graduates are more likely to have jobs that offer paid vacation, health insurance, retirement, and flexible work arrangements. These forms of non-wage compensation help provide greater financial stability and security over the long run.

College graduates not only earn higher wages and have higher-quality jobs, but they are also better protected during economic downturns. In the past several recessions, less-educated workers have borne the brunt of employment losses. During the worst of the COVID-19 recession, the unemployment rate for those with no college experience was 18 percent, compared to 10 percent for those with a bachelor’s degree.

Students who want to reap the benefits of college face rising costs, which have increased between 50 and 100 percent across different types of colleges since 2000. In 2021, a nonprofit private college in California cost an annual average of $68,000 for undergraduates, including tuition, room and board, books, and other fees. Public colleges are far less expensive but prices have still gone up for in-state undergraduates—reaching nearly $35,000 per year at the University of California (UC), $29,000 at California State University (CSU), and $25,000 at the California Community Colleges (CCC).

Housing—not tuition—is the key driver of rising costs at public colleges. For example, among CSU students, housing accounted for 56 percent of the overall cost of attendance in 2021 (tuition accounted for 26%). After adjusting for inflation, public college tuition is actually lower now than it was a decade ago, thanks to increases in state funding.

Financial aid can reduce costs tremendously, especially for students from low-income families. A CSU student whose family earns less than $30,000 pays $4,700, on average, in annual college costs, compared to over $18,000 for a student whose family income exceeds $110,000. Unfortunately, financial aid is underused: only about half of California high school seniors apply for aid, leaving an estimated $560 million in annual federal grants on the table. A new state policy will require more high school graduates to apply for financial aid, which could improve college access.

An estimated 47 percent of California graduates from public and private nonprofit colleges have student debt (lower than the national rate of 62%). Overall, public college students are less likely to take out federal, institutional, or private loans. About three in ten CSU and UC students took out such loans in 2019. In contrast, 45 percent of students at nonprofit private colleges take out loans, and nearly seven in ten students at for-profit colleges do so. Federal loan amounts are also smaller at public colleges.

Students from for-profit colleges struggle the most paying back their loans. Most students at for-profit colleges—disproportionately Black and Latino students —never graduate, and even for those who do wages are lower than for graduates from other colleges. Three years after college, 18 percent of borrowers from for-profit colleges have loans that are delinquent or have defaulted due to lack of repayment, compared with 3 to 6 percent of borrowers at public and nonprofit colleges. These statuses can damage credit scores, leading to higher interest rates and severely limiting access to mortgages and car loans.

Students who never finish their degree do not see the same wage bump as degree-holders. This financial loss is compounded for those who took out loans to attend college in the first place. Three years after college, 22 percent of non-graduates have loans that are in default or delinquent, compared to 12 percent of graduates. Earning a degree in a timely manner is also important, as those who take longer than four years to complete their degree face extra schooling costs, run the risk of losing financial aid eligibility, and further delay their entry into the workforce.

The wage benefits of a college degree differ considerably across majors. Graduates in computer science and mathematics earn a median wage of $110,000 annually, almost double what graduates in education make ($65,000). There is also a great deal of variation within majors: the top-earning graduates in health make $120,000 annually (75th percentile), twice as much as the lowest-earning graduates in health ($60,000 for the 25th percentile). Nevertheless, even lower-earning college graduates tend to make more than workers whose highest level of education is a high school diploma.

Although workers across gender and racial/ethnic groups see a wage premium for earning a college degree, marked disparities still exist in the labor market. For male workers with a bachelor’s degree, the median annual wage is $92,000, compared with $75,000 for college-educated female workers. Similarly, white workers make more than Black and Latino workers across all levels of educational attainment. Several factors contribute to these gender and racial pay gaps, including labor market discrimination and years of work experience. Further, the underrepresentation of female, Black, and Latino students in the most financially rewarding programs of study, such as computer science and engineering, affects later job prospects, occupations, and earning potential.

Higher education is a critical driver of economic progress. It is also the key policy lever for improving mobility from one generation to the next, especially for low-income, first-generation, Black, and Latino students. As the state’s economy has evolved, the job market has increasingly demanded more highly educated workers, a trend that is projected to continue into the future.

In addition to having higher earnings and better job benefits, college graduates are more likely to own a home and less likely to be in poverty or need social services. Society as a whole is also better off, thanks to lower unemployment, less demand for public assistance programs, lower incarceration rates , higher tax revenue, and greater civic engagement .

While a college degree does not guarantee financial security, for most students it represents their best chance of achieving economic prosperity. Although the state has made enormous progress, more work is needed to improve student success at key transition points, including high school graduation, college enrollment, transfer, and college completion. If current enrollment and completion rates continue, most California 9th graders will not earn a bachelor’s degree. And at every step along the way, low-income students—who account for more than half of the state’s public K–12 students—are less likely than their higher-income peers to make it to and through college. Unfortunately, a similar story holds true for other underrepresented groups.

California and its higher education systems have already made tremendous strides in expanding access and improving completion so that more students can enjoy the benefits of a college degree. At the PPIC Higher Education Center , we are tracking the impact of these historic investments and policy changes, working to ensure that they have their intended effects, and advancing evidence-based solutions to further enhance educational opportunities for all California students.

A college degree pays off: Restricted to full-time, year-round workers ages 25–64.

College graduates have greater success on the job market : Restricted to adults ages 25–64. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutional population that is working or actively looking for work. The unemployment rate represents the number of unemployed people as a percentage of the labor force.

College graduates are more likely to have jobs with benefits : Restricted to full-time, year-round workers ages 25–64.

Unemployment rates for less-educated workers increased more during the COVID recession : Restricted to adults ages 25–64.

Total college costs have grown significantly : Data from the 2000–01 to 2021–22 school year. Costs reflect average price of attendance for in-state, full-time, first-time undergraduate students. Estimates are averaged for each sector and weighted by total enrollment among full-time, first-time undergraduates at the institution level in each respective fall term. Housing costs are the typical institution’s estimated cost of living off-campus. California Community College and California State University students are much more likely to live with family, which could greatly reduce living costs. Estimates are inflation-adjusted to reflect 2021 dollars using CPI-U-RS.

Financial aid makes a big difference for students from low-income families : Data from the 2020–21 school year. Net price is the cost of tuition, books, housing, fees, and other associated expenses not covered by grant aid. Estimates reflect average net price of attendance for in-state, full-time, first-time undergraduate students. Estimates are averaged for each sector and weighted by college-level enrollment among students in each income level awarded Title IV federal financial aid in the 2020–21 school year.

Students at public colleges are less likely to take out loans : Sector estimates for loan take-up rates reflect the percent of full-time, first-time undergraduates awarded any loans, including all Title IV subsidized and unsubsidized loans and all institutionally and privately sponsored loans. Estimates for median amount borrowed reflect the median undergraduate federal student loan debt for those who attended California higher education institutions, averaged for each sector and weighted by number of borrowers. The data do not include Parent PLUS loans. Only 2 percent of California Community College students borrow federal student loans, so this institution type was excluded.

Borrowers from for-profit colleges are the most likely to have loans in default : Does not include Parent PLUS or private student loans. See Starr, D. and Jackson, J., 2022, “ Extended Freeze on Student Loan Payments Could Help Many California Borrowers ,” blog post, Public Policy Institute of California.

Students who do not graduate are more likely to have loans in default : Estimates of the share of undergraduate federal student loan borrowers three years into repayment in each loan status by the borrower’s last known enrollment status: completer or non-completer. Graduates finished their academic program and graduated, while non-graduates did not finish. Does not include Parent PLUS or private student loans. See Starr, D., and Jackson, J., 2022, “ Repaying Student Loans a Struggle for Those Who Do Not Graduate ,” blog post, Public Policy Institute of California.

College graduates’ wages vary tremendously across majors : Restricted to full-time, year-round workers ages 25–64. Workers with advanced degrees are excluded.

Marked disparities still exist in the labor market : Restricted to full-time, year-round workers ages 25–64.

Higher education is associated with lower poverty and less social safety net assistance : Restricted to adults ages 25–64, but individuals’ poverty status and social safety net participation are determined based on the status of their family, which may comprise other individuals outside of this age range and with alternate education levels. Social safety net participation rate is the share of adults ages 25–64 in California Poverty Measure units with any resources from CalWORKs/General Assistance, CalFresh, Supplemental Security Income, or federal housing subsidies.

Most California 9th graders will not earn a bachelor’s degree: Educational milestones are based on estimates of high school graduation rates from the California Department of Education (CDE), college-going rates are based on CDE matches with National Student Clearinghouse data (adjusted by PPIC for block rates), transfer rates are based on CCC Chancellor’s Office Student Success Metrics data, and college graduation rates are based on UC, CSU, and IPEDS data. Contact authors for details.

Young Californians May Be Choosing Work over School

Student Loan Debt in California

In a Tight Labor Market, Does a College Degree Still Matter for Employment?

College and Major Can Matter A Lot for Starting Wages

Higher Education and Economic Opportunity in California

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Sample Essay: Is College Worth It?, with Outline

Published by gudwriter on November 23, 2017 November 23, 2017

Is College Worth It Example Essay

Is college worth it? Here is a sample essay that discusses whether college education is worth it in the long run or it’s just a waste of money and time.

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Essay Outline on Whether College is Worth it

Introduction.

Thesis: While there are arguments that college education is not worth it in the current society, this paper contends that college education is indeed worth it irrespective of the prevalent economic conditions.

Paragraph 1:

College education is worth acquiring because those with a college degree earn substantially higher as compared to their counterparts who have secondary school education.

• The earning gap between the two groups only continues to become wider even as the economy transforms.
• “High school graduates earn about 62% of what those with four-year degrees earn, according to a Pew Research Center study.”

Paragraph 2:

College education also adds on to the market value of college graduates making them more valuable than non-college graduates.

• College degree is highly valued by the job market of today and prospective employers view it as the minimum educational requirement for employment.
• In comparison to high school graduates, college graduates would easily secure job opportunities.

  Paragraph 3:

It is also worth pursuing college education because with it, one gets into a better position to acquire and enjoy the benefits of health insurance and develop their pension plans.

• “In 2011, the percentage of full-time workers offered pension plans by their employers who chose to participate ranged from 77% for those without a high school diploma to 94% for those with an advanced degree.”
• Higher levels of educational attainment put one in a better place to have a health insurance cover that is provided by their employer.

Paragraph 4:

College education further helps students in multiple other ways than just monetary returns.

• According to a survey, 74% of students said they had achieved invaluable intellectual growth by attending college while 69% believed college had helped them attain higher personal maturity levels.
• Thus, apart from employment, college makes students become better prepared to face life and the challenges that come with it.

Paragraph 5:

One argument against college education is that it plunges students into huge debt burdens.

• The argument holds that the $400 average monthly wage that fresh college graduates get is not enough for servicing their student loans.
• This argument ignores the fact that as they continue to work, college graduates develop professionally and continue earning more than their starting salary.

Paragraph 6:

Opponents of college education also front an argument that the market value of students does not benefit from college education.

• Apparently, this explains why people with college education may find themselves in odd jobs such as being hotel attendants.
• This argument is off the mark because college education indeed increases the market value of students and that is why they earn more than high school graduates.  

College education is worth it given the many benefits it sires. One should pursue college education at all costs even if it means running into debts. Deliberately failing to acquire college education is akin to deliberately settling for less in life. For an in-depth analysis of Candide, please read our Candide analysis essay.

Is College Worth it Example Essay

College education is one area that many people in the United States of America have invested and continue to invest in. It is widely believed that with college education, one has a better chance at life in terms of professional and personal development. College education has long been seen as a good avenue through which one may access and effectively exploit economic opportunities both domestically and internationally. However, the cost of acquiring college education has risen in the recent past and continues to rise even at present. A debate has thus ensued as to whether college education is really worth its cost in the prevailing economic situations. While there are arguments that college education is not worth it in the current society, this paper contends that college education is indeed worth it irrespective of the prevalent economic conditions. In college that’s where you may find worthy and important friendship , it’s where you mold relationship since you have a better understanding of yourself.

College education is worth acquiring because those with a college degree earn substantially higher as compared to their counterparts who have secondary school education. The earning gap between the two groups only continues to become wider even as the economy transforms. As pointed out by Weston (2015), “High school graduates earn about 62% of what those with four-year degrees earn, according to a Pew Research Center study.” In the year 1979, those with high school education used to earn 77% of what college graduates earned; a proof that the earning gap is indeed increasing (Weston, 2015). It would thus not be advisable to forego college education and settle for high school education because in effect, that means settling for lower earnings. Under normal circumstances, an investment that attracts higher returns on investment is worth considering or pursuing and so is college education.

College education also adds on to the market value of college graduates making them more valuable than non-college graduates. As clearly stated by Selingo (2015), college degree is highly valued by the job market of today and prospective employers view it as the minimum educational requirement for employment. This then implies that in comparison to high school graduates, college graduates would easily secure job opportunities. With college education, one thus opens more economic opportunities for themselves. This is why Weston (2015) advises that in the current economy, everybody should “consider some post-secondary training if they do not want to fall down the economic ladder.” Irrespective of the program one undertakes in college, they would enhance their market value by amassing as much professional experience as possible and thereby command better earnings.

It is also worth pursuing college education because with it, one gets into a better position to acquire and enjoy the benefits of health insurance and develop their pension plans. “In 2011, the percentage of full-time workers offered pension plans by their employers who chose to participate ranged from 77% for those without a high school diploma to 94% for those with an advanced degree” (Baum, Ma & Payea, 2013). It is further noted by Baum, Ma & Payea (2013) that higher levels of educational attainment put one in a better place to have a health insurance cover that is provided by their employer. With a health insurance, one can be sure of medical attention whenever they need it while with pension plans, one is sure to live a dignified life after they retire. Therefore, one would suffer less financial burden if they have these two provisions, both before and after retirement. As is evident here, the benefits would far outweigh the cost at which college education is acquired.

College education further helps students in multiple other ways than just monetary returns. According to a survey, 74% of students said they had achieved invaluable intellectual growth by attending college while 69% believed college had helped them attain higher personal maturity levels (“Is College Worth It?,” 2011). Thus, apart from employment, college makes students become better prepared to face life and the challenges that come with it. A more intellectually strengthened person is likely to approach life with an open mind which would enable them develop well-thought solutions to various life problems. Similarly, a high level of personal maturity helps one in developing meaningful relationships both at personal and professional levels. Thus, college education generally prepares a person for better life. It would be less meaningful to earn a lot of money and spend it unwisely.

One argument against college education is that it plunges students into huge debt burdens. Selingo (2015) argues that the $400 average monthly wage that fresh college graduates get is not enough for servicing their student loans. The scholar contends that with such little earnings, college graduates may end up repaying their loans for long. Supporters of this opinion hold that being in debt overshadows the value the students might have got from the education given that it is costly to acquire. However, this argument ignores the fact that as they continue to work, college graduates develop professionally and continue earning more than their starting salaries.

Opponents of college education also front an argument that the market value of students does not benefit from college education. Apparently, this explains why people with college education may find themselves in odd jobs such as being hotel attendants. According to Selingo (2015) ,““Looking at the actual return on the costs of attending college, careful analyses suggest that the payoff from many college programs — as much as one in four — is actually negative”. However, this argument is off the mark because as revealed herein, college education increases the market value of students and that is why they earn more than high school graduates.

College education is worth it given the many benefits it sires. One should pursue college education at all costs even if it means running into debts. It would be satisfying to service the loan knowing very well that afterwards, one would continue reaping the benefits of the education. Increased market value, higher earnings, health insurance cover, and retirement plans all make college education a necessity. Deliberately failing to acquire college education is thus akin to deliberately settling for less in life.

Baum, S., Ma, J., & Payea, K. (2013). “ Education pays 2013: the benefits of higher education for individuals and society” . The College Board. Retrieved from https://trends.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/education-pays-2013-full-report.pdf

Is College Worth It?. In Pew Research Center . Retrieved July 9, 2020 from https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2011/05/15/is-college-worth-it/

Selingo, J. (2015). “ Is college worth the cost? Many recent graduates don’t think so”. Washington Post . Retrieved 21 November 2017, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/09/30/is-college-worth-the-cost-many-recent-graduates-dont-think-so/?utm_term=.d1c7eef76720

Weston, L. (2015). “ Why college is still worth it even though it costs too much” . Time . Retrieved 21 November 2017, from http://time.com/money/4061150/college-degree-worth-it/

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