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LearnedHand

(4,221 posts)

80. The value of a college education far exceeds a debt-to-earnings calculus

Mon Dec 9, 2024, 06:25 PM

Dec 9

And it's wholly a rightwing framework to equate that value with earnings potential. There are dozens of reasons the value exceeds earnings potential. For example, it very likely broadens people's horizons by exposing them to things they wouldn't otherwise know about. It proves to future employers that you can set your mind to something and complete it. It eases the transition from high school to work by introducing a semi autonomy and giving young folks the opportunity to begin learning to take responsibility for their own success or failure (I.e., grades in this case). Finally, undergraduate school curricula in particular help overcome the fracturing of the world into topics that, in high school, seem to have zero relationship to one another. I could go on, but we need to avoid the MAGA framework (and sneering) about college education.

NOTE: I know college is not for everyone, and I wholeheartedly support a robust trade school option that is NOT in the hands of for-profit grifters.

EDIT: The costs are astronomically too high, and it's amplified a thousand times over by the predatory lenders.

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College enrollment is falling at a 'concerning' rate, new data reveals [View all] BumRushDaShow Dec 8 OP

They did it to themselves Wicked Blue Dec 8 #1

free in California Evolve Dammit Dec 8 #16

And Ronald Reagan eliminated that when he was governor Wicked Blue Dec 8 #17

Brother got two Masters degrees and avoided the draft. He would not have done well. Evolve Dammit Dec 8 #20

Oh, so that's when that happened! ShazzieB Dec 8 #25

Tuition was free at CA community colleges at least until 1993 as I was a student then. There was a big kelly1mm Dec 8 #30

He wouldn't be popular if he didn't do lots of cruel shit. GOP loves to fuck people. Evolve Dammit Dec 9 #72

Yes! UC colleges were free in the 1960s. Now they're $21k per year, just for tuition. SunSeeker Dec 8 #26

My brother was very smart to move to CA and go to USC and UCLA obtaining two Masters degrees and avoiding Nam. Evolve Dammit Dec 9 #71

Yes, I went to a 2 yr. community college after graduating from high school in 1964. patphil Dec 8 #27

$200 in 2024 dollars is $1773 Renew Deal Dec 8 #29

I recently came across my budget for expenses. I paid $170 for tuition, books, and fees for one semester at a public rainin Dec 8 #43

Well now. róisín_dubh Dec 9 #59

COVID was not kind of Higher Ed either. SomewhereInTheMiddle Dec 9 #61

And also, businesses hiring off the streets (directed at college grads) weren't finding the quality and / or quantity of SWBTATTReg Dec 9 #78

Part of that increase is because the federal and states used to give more money to the colleges. raccoon Dec 9 #64

"They" didn't do it. State governments did. Iris Dec 9 #76

High costs with questionable returns IronLionZion Dec 8 #2

The lifetime earnings of someone with a college degree is over a million dollars more than one without on average. Shermann Dec 8 #4

Anyone who can afford to invest $200k all at once at age 18 doesn't need to go to college Fiendish Thingy Dec 8 #9

Actually, the student who simply pays the $200K out of pocket makes out better than most. Shermann Dec 8 #18

Apples to oranges Fiendish Thingy Dec 8 #23

Why college instead of trade school exboyfil Dec 8 #33

Nothing wrong with trade school Fiendish Thingy Dec 8 #53

I already qualified my observation by stating that higher education can be more than just a rate of return Shermann Dec 9 #75

There is a formula in consumer finance education... JT45242 Dec 9 #57

I concur 100% MichMan Dec 9 #60

Overall, that is right on the mark Fiendish Thingy Dec 9 #70

Is the quality of life significantly better? Renew Deal Dec 8 #31

You don't think someone in middle America earning $75k per year isn't better off than someone earning $42k ? MichMan Dec 8 #45

More money is always better Renew Deal Dec 8 #49

Let's say you take two years at CC, transfer to a 4 yr college, take classes at night and earn an Engineering degree MichMan Dec 8 #54

If you could have your entire loan of $225k removed by agreeing to take a $33k annual pay cut the rest of your life... MichMan Dec 9 #73

Every statistic is better JT45242 Dec 9 #65

Make life more expensive and people will have less children. Yavin4 Dec 8 #3

More and more people I talk to are not going to college because it is not needed thatdemguy Dec 8 #5

25 years ago I started a job that demanded a college degree Orrex Dec 8 #6

Software engineers with computer science degrees are the exception Shermann Dec 8 #8

Not quite Lithos Dec 8 #38

I'm not sure about your binary characterization using made-up terms Shermann Dec 9 #79

I will disagree with you there. Lithos Dec 12 #82

Last grade I "graduated" from was 6th. Did some college. Taught at universities, worked around the world. erronis Dec 8 #40

Did they cover trade school numbers LittleGirl Dec 8 #7

There was a mention at the linked data site BumRushDaShow Dec 8 #12

Thanks! nt LittleGirl Dec 9 #58

By design. (n/t) OldBaldy1701E Dec 8 #10

The birth rate went down. jimfields33 Dec 8 #34

Well, making abortion illegal and denying women's healthcare might reduce birthrates too... EastBayGuy Dec 8 #11

Well when a college education costs tens of thousands of dollars what do we expect? Jacson6 Dec 8 #13

Do people largely see college education as job training? Jim__ Dec 8 #14

Depends on your family situation exboyfil Dec 8 #35

Yet another public good completely ruined by the profit motive being applied to something it never should have been. Karasu Dec 8 #15

All four grandkids are going to BonnieJW Dec 8 #19

Great idea exboyfil Dec 8 #36

How does cost of CC compare with a state univ? JustABozoOnThisBus Dec 9 #63

It's too expansive for most - TBF Dec 8 #21

Iowa is fortunate in that it has great public colleges that aren't exboyfil Dec 8 #37

My son applied to a couple in Indiana - TBF Dec 8 #39

Wish your son the best exboyfil Dec 9 #55

thanks - TBF Dec 9 #74

The original "deal", as I recall it being sold, was dobleremolque Dec 8 #22

I went to college in the mid 70's in California kimbutgar Dec 8 #24

Excellent! That's just what the republicans want. choie Dec 8 #28

This election was decided by the most uneducated and uninformed electorate in history... Karasu Dec 8 #32

The birth rate fell. Elessar Zappa Dec 9 #68

Birthrate is a ruse Nigrum Cattus Dec 8 #41

Make America Dumb Again! tenderfoot Dec 8 #42

Hello to you!! BumRushDaShow Dec 8 #44

There's an over-abundance of people that think college is pointless unless you major in business or some bee ess tenderfoot Dec 8 #47

Yup BumRushDaShow Dec 8 #48

Who needs humanities or philosophy? tenderfoot Dec 8 #50

It's all part of the plan. GoYouPackersGo Dec 8 #46

There seems to be something fishy about this statistic.... reACTIONary Dec 8 #51

Who needs all that fancg learnin'? czarjak Dec 8 #52

In the Trump era it's not what you know, it's who you know. hay rick Dec 9 #56

Well... Mike Nelson Dec 9 #62

I'm a big proponent of technical College. Thats where I went & I retired at 53 Callie1979 Dec 9 #66

Oh no, that might eventually effect college football,say it aint so! BradBo Dec 9 #67

"Higher" education is bubble waiting to pop harun Dec 9 #69

We are going to regret this. Big time. "Dumb Down," indeed: DFW Dec 9 #77

The value of a college education far exceeds a debt-to-earnings calculus LearnedHand Dec 9 #80

Colleges should be obligated to guarantee graduates jobs pfitz59 Dec 9 #81