Is a Bachelor’s Degree Really All That?

Many people believe that going to college to earn a bachelor's degree is the absolute best decision a young adult could make after graduating high school. While this may be true for a certain amount of students, there are many other options that students should consider. Not everyone has to achieve a bachelor’s degree in order to make a living.
A study done by the University of Washington shows that as of April 30, 2019,
“approximately 53% of college graduates are unemployed or working in a job that doesn’t require a bachelor’s degree.”
This is proof that a bachelor’s degree is not everything the world makes it seem. As I said, there are many other options a student should consider other than attending college for a degree that they might not even use. I believe a student has to find the right career for themselves and then decide what the best career path is in order to become successful.
Trade School
After watching the video, it is clear that there are many benefits to attending a trade school. Not only is trade school cheaper, but the programs that are offered range from 4 months to 2 years.
“The average trade school degree costs $33,000, which, compared to a $127,000 bachelor’s degree, means a savings of $94,000. But that’s not all! If you assume that students are fully financing their education with loans at 4% over 10 years, the bachelor’s degree will cost $154,000, while the trade school degree will cost only $40,000. That’s a savings of $114,000 just on the degree.”
The video showed that trade school consists of hands-on learning. For a kinesthetic learner, trade school may be one of the best choices to consider. Although there are a limited amount of career paths that trade school offers, it is still a valuable option and should be mentioned more in high school.

The cartoon above demonstrates how society views going to trade school. Trade school is majorly frowned upon which is why many people are no longer enrolling. So few people are attending trade school that according to an article released by Forbes,
“America is facing an unprecedented skilled labor shortage. According to the Department of Labor, the US economy had 7.6 million unfilled jobs, but only 6.5 million people were looking for work as of January 2019 and it is more apparent than ever that our country is suffering because of it.”
Currently, trade school is being pushed out of sight and college is being shoved down students’ throats. Students should be aware of all their education options and should not feel discouraged about what they want to do. Whether the students end up moving forward to achieve a master's in English or decide to go to trade school, the choice is theirs.
An Associate’s Degree
An associate’s degree is what I like to call the sweet in-between of a trade school and regular college.
Opposed to the limited career options in trade school, going to college for an associate’s degree provides many career paths. The picture shown is a list of the most popular associate’s degree programs in Oregon as of 2016. Apart from the degrees listed, there are many other degree options as well.
Associate’s degrees take around two years to complete and the majority are earned at community colleges. For associate’s degree students, the average cost of college tuition is just $3,570 per year at public institutions. Private two-year schools charge significantly more at $14,587.
According to this statistic and referring to the statistics that were previously mentioned, an associate’s degree is not only cheaper than a bachelor’s degree but is cheaper than attending a trade school. Working for any degree takes time, money, and determination; however, there is one way a student can earn an associate’s degree without paying a dime.
Considering I am a dual-enrolled student, I relate to the students in the video and can say it is without a doubt a privilege to be taking college classes. Even if I do not end up graduating high school with an associate’s degree, the knowledge I’ve gained so far has impacted me greatly.
A Bachelor’s Degree

As of today, a bachelor’s degree is the most commonly sought after degree. In comparison to going trade school and getting an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree is the most expensive and takes the most time to accomplish; however, it could be the most beneficial. A bachelor’s degree is able to be completed in four years but over half of the time is not.
“According to the National Center for Education Statistics, just 41% of first-time full-time college students earn a bachelor’s degree in four years, and only 59% earn a bachelor’s in six years, driving up the cost of attending college significantly. Many of these students are left with the debt of a college education without the degree.”
The article quoted above was published on June 19, 2019. This is devastating. In the future, it is highly possible that the four-year graduation rate will slowly decrease and the six-year graduation rate will increase. Although there is a wide range of choices in a bachelor’s degree program, the degree is unnecessary depending on the career choice.

“approximately 53% of college graduates are unemployed or working in a job that doesn’t require a bachelor’s degree.”
Referring to this statistic again, it is clear that too many people are going to college for the wrong reasons. College is becoming more and more of a social normality which puts pressure on students who are unsure of what they want to do after high school.
What’s My Opinion?

If it has not been obvious, I firmly believe that too many students are attending college. Education is a choice. It makes absolutely no sense for a person who is unaware of what they want to do to go to college to earn a degree that they may not even use. On top of that, it will take that person 10 to 30 years to pay off their student loans. Parents, teachers, counselors, and anybody else with an influence on high school students, need to start thinking about the students. Employers need to start looking past the B.A on a resume and focus on the person. There is so much more to a person than their level of education but sadly, that is something our society struggles with. I am not saying that college is not beneficial because I most certainly think it is. In order for college to be more beneficial to all people who enroll, people need to think carefully about why they are enrolling.
