Although attending college notoriously costs a ridiculous amount of money, the cost holds higher benefits. According to Education Data, students spend about $103,828 in the course of four years in a public university and out-of-state tuition costs about $176,056 for four years, which draws people away from attending college. Only 6% of people who do not receive a college education become billionaires, therefore, people should attend college education to prosper in life. It provides numerous job opportunities and helps students figure out what they want to do in life, even if undecided.

People tend to choose not to attend college due to the high cost. Attending college holds several forms of benefits, such as earning a high income and experiencing smaller probabilities of unemployment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, people with higher degrees earn higher incomes than people with lower education. College graduates hold better opportunities than people with no degrees. Since 2008, 95% of jobs in America require a form of college experience and numerous colleges require a minimum degree of a bachelor’s degree. Whether in business, finance, information technology, social services or especially health services, one needs a form of further education. It also provides them the ability to gain research skills, especially if they want to become a researcher, scientist or anything related to STEM. Projects, exams and group work will help prepare for working with people in the workforce.

“The first thing you need to do is think correctly, think logically, apply whatever you learned and have the ability to run the business successfully, that comes with knowledge, understanding and skills of using your brain, which would come through a degree. Only education would provide [teach] you how to think, how to reason logically, how to guide and also how to be successful in a real-life application situation,” Algebra II and AP Calculus teacher Deepa Stephen said.

Attending college provides an opportunity for students to create social connections and network with people from different fields and workforces. It helps build one’s portfolio for their later career and provides experiences in fields that interest people. Roughly 20 to 50% of students start college undecided; by attending college, students can explore different classes and interests to find their passion. For example, someone who did not know what to major in entered college undecided and by taking a bunch of art classes, she found her passion for Graphic Design. Such opportunities can not happen when one avoids college, which can cause stress and anxiety. At such a young age, attending college undecided can help a person figure out their passion.

Although people would argue about the worth of attending college due to the cost, college provides students with multiple skills that can help when they join the workforce. Others may argue that numerous successful people did not attend college, such as Bill Gates, but such a path requires planning and persistence. A person can attend college and become successful such as Michael Bloomberg, the co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P: a private financial, data, and media company. Another would argue the concern of the major because students tend to earn degrees that they cannot use or apply to anything, which leads to unemployment. In such cases, students must research what they want to do and the job factor in those majors before embarking on them.

“What I have learned in my life is that passion does not pay your bills, you have to be smart and passionate about what you choose in your degree. Yes, definitely, there are some degrees that you cannot do anything with. You have to make your choice based on research. I learned history, but I work in technology, but I’m able to work in technology because you’re able to think because you have a degree,” Stephen said.

College provides students with time management skills, work-life balance and presentation and writing skills, which can aid them in the workforce. People can find flexible, low-cost options that they can afford to attend college. Attending college provides numerous benefits in life, the cost can provide satisfaction rather than regret.