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rachel
Student
Milford, Ohio
1
Question
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How much more money do people with a degree make over someone with a highschool diploma?
I need to make a decision to go to college or start working right after highschool. #electricalengineering
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3 answers
Mike Really
1
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Mike’s Answer
First decide what career you want. You will spend a very large part of your life working so pick something that fascinates you. Once you have that, you can see how best to make money doing it and get qualified to do it. So many wave off the first part is the rush to pick a path or chase a paycheck.
Cecile Ferreboeuf Clayes
Strategy & Business Development, Internet of Things (IoT) and Intelligent Cloud
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Cecile’s Answer
Hi Rachel,
There is no easy answer to that question, as it will vary according to :
-(i) the chosen Major/ field of study
-(ii) your ability to pay for college (or get a good scolarship) and
-(iii) how good the reputation of the college is, opening doors for a well-paid job.
If you already know in which field you want to specialize, you will get an idea of the orders of magnitude : there are plenty of lists that give you an idea of the best paying jobs, with or without a degree, so that is something you can start with
> here is a link for the top paying jobs in the US : http://www.businessinsider.com/top-paying-jobs-in-america-2015-9
>... and another one for the top paying jobs without a college degree : http://www.businessinsider.com/highest-paying-jobs-dont-require-bachelors-degree-2017-6
Once you have identified in which area you would like to specialize, you will need to have a reality check, between what you would love to do and what is reachable via the academic system, based on your grades. It doesn't mean you should give up your dreams if you have a clear path you want to achieve, but you have to be conscious of the gap, if there is one, or what is the best path for you, if you are doing well at school : you counsellor should be the right person to talk to
At last, comes the difficult financial aspect. Again, based on the discussion with your counsellor, you should be able to get an idea of your chances to get a scolarship. If not, this is an information that you can get online : once you are clear on your field of study, and which colleges you could target based on your grades, you can go online and check, based on your GPA, if a scolarship is a possibility or not.
If you follow the above steps, you should be able to get a good view on the college options, and then be able to compare with non-degree options. Even though it is true that having a college degree is definitely something that, on average, gives people a better salary range and more jobs opportunities (see report below), you should keep in mind that :
1- this is just an average trend, and if you do a specialization in a field that is high in job demands (eg construction field), you may be fine. Keep in mind though that if you choose a non-degree path, you would have to look for a way to get an equivalence of a degree (some companies do help) if you want to consider your long term value on the job market
2- going to college without a clear path for professional employment, while paying high tuition costs and having to drop out, is definitely the scenario you want to absolutely avoid
3- that being said, getting a college degree in a field you know is going to be at the crossroads of what you like to do (you don't have to have a super precise idea), and what competency you know is going to be in high demand, is the ideal path... again, if you can afford it.
To conclude, and if you are brave to go through this reading, I recommend you a 44-page report from the Georgetown University about the main skills and the "value" of college degrees by industry. It is a long read, but should help you get some broader perspective
https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/Americas-Divided-Recovery-web.pdf
Good luck in your next steps
There is no easy answer to that question, as it will vary according to :
-(i) the chosen Major/ field of study
-(ii) your ability to pay for college (or get a good scolarship) and
-(iii) how good the reputation of the college is, opening doors for a well-paid job.
If you already know in which field you want to specialize, you will get an idea of the orders of magnitude : there are plenty of lists that give you an idea of the best paying jobs, with or without a degree, so that is something you can start with
> here is a link for the top paying jobs in the US : http://www.businessinsider.com/top-paying-jobs-in-america-2015-9
>... and another one for the top paying jobs without a college degree : http://www.businessinsider.com/highest-paying-jobs-dont-require-bachelors-degree-2017-6
Once you have identified in which area you would like to specialize, you will need to have a reality check, between what you would love to do and what is reachable via the academic system, based on your grades. It doesn't mean you should give up your dreams if you have a clear path you want to achieve, but you have to be conscious of the gap, if there is one, or what is the best path for you, if you are doing well at school : you counsellor should be the right person to talk to
At last, comes the difficult financial aspect. Again, based on the discussion with your counsellor, you should be able to get an idea of your chances to get a scolarship. If not, this is an information that you can get online : once you are clear on your field of study, and which colleges you could target based on your grades, you can go online and check, based on your GPA, if a scolarship is a possibility or not.
If you follow the above steps, you should be able to get a good view on the college options, and then be able to compare with non-degree options. Even though it is true that having a college degree is definitely something that, on average, gives people a better salary range and more jobs opportunities (see report below), you should keep in mind that :
1- this is just an average trend, and if you do a specialization in a field that is high in job demands (eg construction field), you may be fine. Keep in mind though that if you choose a non-degree path, you would have to look for a way to get an equivalence of a degree (some companies do help) if you want to consider your long term value on the job market
2- going to college without a clear path for professional employment, while paying high tuition costs and having to drop out, is definitely the scenario you want to absolutely avoid
3- that being said, getting a college degree in a field you know is going to be at the crossroads of what you like to do (you don't have to have a super precise idea), and what competency you know is going to be in high demand, is the ideal path... again, if you can afford it.
To conclude, and if you are brave to go through this reading, I recommend you a 44-page report from the Georgetown University about the main skills and the "value" of college degrees by industry. It is a long read, but should help you get some broader perspective
https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/Americas-Divided-Recovery-web.pdf
Good luck in your next steps
Dr. Dennis Ong
manager, engineer
9
Answers
Columbus, Ohio
Updated
Dr. Dennis’s Answer
I would say that you should at least check out your local community colleges. The tuition is low and you can stay at home to save money. Everyone is different but there are definitely advantages of going to college.