College Still Matters? Why, Yes It Does

by Patrick O'Connor, Ph.D.

It’s always reassuring when a report comes along confirming what your work as a counselor has told you all along, especially when it makes sense. That’s the case for a new report by College Access: Research and Action that takes a fresh look at the age old question—is college worth it?

You should read the report, but here are the spoilers:

• 75% of students surveyed still want to go to college and earn a degree.

• For first-generation and low-income students, there’s more to this desire than simply wanting to make more money.

• These same students have many more hurdles to overcome, so their decisions about college aren’t as clear cut as most policymakers assume.

At this point, you should feel free to sit back in your chair, and let out a big, “Duh”.

It’s certainly reassuring the study shows students want to keep learning—that’s the only way life and society get better. And it’s certainly true some students want to go to college for the economic opportunities it provides. Recent studies still show that, on average, a college degree holder can realize $1 million in additional income when compared to the person whose last credential is a high school diploma. It would seem that, while some employers are no longer requiring college degrees for some positions, they are giving preference to applicants with college degrees when it comes to actual hiring, since the Million Dollar Difference has been around for a couple of decades.

It’s also nice to see one of these reports going beyond the dollars and cents, and recognizing the value of a college education for something other than a paycheck. A college admission officer once asked a room of school counselors about their college experience—what do they most remember? It should come as no surprise they mentioned the friends they made, the experiences they had, and the way their lives changed. Paychecks were not mentioned by a single counselor. Neither were the classes they took.

That’s what’s been lost in this decades-old debate about the value of college. Policymakers and skittish parents look at the average loan balance graduates emerge with from college and see it as outrageous. But there are many decisions made that lead to debt—vacations, housing, cars, and more—that are seen as valuable for something more than their cost. At what point was it decided that college was supposed to be something other than life changing? (It’s also notable that all those “shocked” policymakers have yet to come up with a meaningful plan to alleviate all that debt, leading one to wonder how sincere their interest really is in the matter.)

As great as these parts of the report are, they pale in comparison to the conclusion that going to college isn’t the easy decision most policymakers assume it is. The factors involved aren’t new to school counselors:

• First-generation students may not have the advantage of having parents who value college, or if they do, understand the steps involved in applying.

• Combine this with low-income status, and a student’s ability to visit college campuses, attend summer programs on college campuses, or participate in dual enrollment can be significantly thwarted.

• Once at college, costs related to supplemental learning experiences may prevent them from fully participating.

• A disproportionate number of first-gen and low-income students attend schools with counselor ratios that prevent meaningful college guidance.

Many of the points in the report have been raised before. Still, this fresh look at the questions gives updated data to consider, and puts together three conclusions that don’t often end up in the same document.