The value of a college degree: What price is society willing to pay?

The economic value that accrues from those who earn four-year university degrees and graduate degrees will be the focus of this paper. Higher education influences economic well-being in other ways as well. The economic impacts of expenditures by institutions, their employees and their students already have been well documented buy others. The benefits of knowledge creation - research and development- at universities will be examined and compared. Education provides a variety of benefits to students including enhanced social skills, greater awareness of human achievement and an appreciation for cultural diversity. IN this time period that we live in, education is increasingly viewed as an economic investment. Education provides a student with skills that are valued by employers and increases lifetime earnings capacity. The primary point of this paper is what value do we, as a society, put towards attaining a degree and at what cost? Presenting both sides of this important argument is essential to making a fair assessment of where we stand as a society. It would be fair to state that although the cost can be higher for some than others, the collective agreement is as follows: The benefits of going to college, aside from getting a job, that are intangible include unique accomplishments like finding a marriage partner, making life-long friends, making good contacts, networking with classmates and professors, the college life itself, exposing yourself to a broader scope of education, developing analytical and critical thinking skills, and the list goes on and on