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Evan Thurman
Professor Emilia Grant
UWRT 1103-046
November 6, 2014
Inquiry Paper
Finding a job in todays world is easier said than done. Many people believe that
it is the key to establishing the American dream. However, what is the best way to find
a long and prosperous career? The trend seems to be getting a high school diploma
and pursuing a four-year college degree. However will this cultural norm be enough to
land a steady job? According to the article, The Cost and Price of College and the Value
of Higher Education, the number of graduates of four-year postsecondary schools
working in jobs that did not require a degree rose from 36 to over 43 percent (Casse
and Manno 51). A concern is the large amount of people that are applying for college
and graduating with the same exact four-year degree. This simple problem leads to the
perplexing inquiry; what is the value of a four-year college degree in todays society? As
a college student myself, this question is always in the back of my mind. It concerns me
when I look at the large percentage of kids from my high school that are currently
pursuing the same college education that I am. That is why I felt this was such an
important topic to research in depth to find the true answer. Perhaps the only true way
to fulfill the American dream is by obtaining a form of higher education such as a
masters degree or doctorate degree. That would be an extra expense but it could
really pay off in the long run. This research will hopefully find the answer to this critical
inquiry question. The answer to this could be extremely beneficial to many young

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Americans trying to decide what direction they will head in their journey to find
happiness and success.
In spite of the many questions that arise about this topic of inquiry, there is one
thing that is for certain. A four-year college degree or a Bachelors degree does have
multiple different benefits. It is important to understand those benefits in order to see
the issue from all angles and aspects. Many people think a college degree is only to
gain economic success. However, it has been shown that people who graduate college
have good health, are more involved in civic affairs, and have higher rates of successful
marriages (Rose 25). These reasons all sound very attractive to any young adult
coming right out of high school. On the other hand, there are many economic benefits
from attaining a four-year degree. One benefit is, the average American with a college
diploma still earns about 75% more than a worker with a high-school diploma and is
less likely to be unemployed. (Greg 1). A high school diploma is obviously not a
practical option for a person that wants to support a family in the future. Nevertheless, a
single person could make it by with this diploma. It is hard to argue with the fact that the
percentage of earnings will be much higher with a college degree. A factor that
contributes to the increased earnings is that people that have a bachelors degree have
a higher chance of attaining managerial or professional jobs. (Rose 27). Greg also
mentions that it is less likely to be unemployed. Many college students worry about
being able to find a job once they graduate. One reason for this is because of the
enormous amount of money that college can cost. It can leave a person out in the cold
with piles of loans if not careful.

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That leads to analyzing the negative sides of a college degree. This may seem
contradictory because parents and teachers are always preaching about how to go to
school and get a good education. In high school, this is easy because it is free and
there are absolutely no reasons for not taking full advantage of gaining that level of
education. However, college education can be a completely different story in many
cases. According to Stephen Rose, the cost of tuition for students that receive financial
help from the school is slightly over $12,000 (Rose 28). This amount of money can
really add up after four years of schooling. Many students must take on full time jobs
during the year to help burden some of this money. The concern is whether or not there
will be an available job once they graduate to start paying off the debt. One interesting
idea about debt is, the financial benefits that accrue to those with college degrees is
the best reason why we should not be subsidizing their education with taxpayer dollars
(Casse and Manno 51). Many believe that college debt should be the responsibility of
the student because they have a chance of finding a solid career. However, there is
good news because, about 35 percent of students owe nothing when they graduate
(Rose 28). This proves that having no debt by the time of graduation is possible if you
work hard enough and take the necessary steps to receive scholarships and financial
aid. However, only a small percentage of people are able to do it.
The next question that is involved in this journey of inquiry is whether a four-year
degree is becoming the new high school diploma. This is easy to think because of the
large amount of students now enrolled in a four-year institution. According to Greg,
college-educated workers are more plentiful [and] more commoditized (Greg 1). This
statement sounds a lot like a high school diploma. Almost everybody has the ability to

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attain one and they all stand for the same level of academic achievement. Employers
want to see something that sets a person apart from the other job applicants such as a
unique degree that shows they are qualified.
Employers are beginning to hire people with more focused and harder to obtain
degrees (Greg 1). There is a fine balance in finding a degree that is focused enough to
give an edge while not being too focused. For example, a person with a degree in
opera may have a harder time finding a job than a person with a degree in electrical
engineering. This goes back to the high school diploma. A high school diploma is a
very broad academic achievement and shows that the person has basic knowledge on
many topics rather than topics solely related to the job. That is why evidence is starting
to lean towards a college degree not being the new high school diploma. An important
point was made by Greg when he said, todays college graduates are far more likely to
be competing against educated immigrants and educated workers employed overseas.
(Greg 1). This fact really emphasizes that a college degree will not guarantee a position
for any job. It also shows how a person will still be competing with the same number of
people without an education as if they had a simple high school diploma. That is why a
college degree is a necessary tool to help somebody gain an edge on the competition.
A concern for many people is will that edge be enough or will it take one extra step and
a whole lot more money.
Perhaps a masters or doctorates degree is the true key to success in the journey
to find long-term happiness with a perfect career. There is no doubt that it will help you
stand out from the rest of the competition. In todays age and time, a high school
diploma has little worth and a bachelors degree basically shows an employer that the

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applicant has the lowest understanding of skills needed to perform the job (Casse and
Manno 50). This idea exemplifies that a bachelors degree does not show you are
ready to perform the job. A masters or doctorate degree will show an employer that the
individual knows all the specific knowledge needed to perform the job at a higher and
more elite level. Not only do these degrees show a higher level of knowledge but
demonstrates that the person spent the extra time and money to prepare themselves for
a career. A surprising statistic shows that an individual with a bachelor degree can earn
40 percent more than someone with a high school diploma. A person with a doctorates
degree, such as law or medical, can earn 60 percent more than somebody with just a
high school diploma. (Casse and Manno 51). Both of these percentages show that it is
very hard to make a decent living in todays job market with a high school diploma. It
also helps to debunk the idea that a four-year degree is now becoming the new high
school diploma. However, the important part to note is how a doctorates degree can
earn someone up to 20 percent more in income. If that 20 percent is added up over the
years, it could turn out to be a substantial difference in salary. This increase in salary is
a huge reward but it does not come without taking a risk. According to Stephen Rose,
Most of the students with high debt have attended law and medical school. They have
been willing to incur it because of the salaries associated with these degrees (Rose
28). Going to law or medical school is almost like investing hundreds of thousands of
dollars in the stock market hoping the market will not crash. It comes with an immense
amount of risk but perhaps the reward will be well worth it in the long run. Another point
to consider is whether certain high level degrees will give a person a better chance of
landing a high paying job.

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It is important to also make sure that the negative sides of obtaining one of these
post-secondary degrees is addressed. Obviously the cost could be seen as a negative
to many people. That is often what scares somebody away from pursuing a higher
education such as a masters or doctorates degree. It has been discovered that
students who get a law degree from a less esteemed school will end up with smaller
salaries and a job with lower security (Greg 1). This is not as big of a deal when
obtaining a four-year degree. However an employer may want to make sure that the
degree is from an accredited school, which would ensure that the individual has a
quality education. This makes having this prestigious of a degree hard to handle
because if it is from the wrong school, it could put someone in a tough spot with a large
amount of debt. A second aspect that could be negative is, for 35 percent of college
graduates, the BA is a stepping-stone to a graduate degree (Rose 32). Thirty five
percent is a pretty substantial number of people going on for a higher education than a
bachelors degree. That could be very intimidating because it shows large amounts of
people are also taking the extra time and money to achieve the same level of degree.
In conclusion, all of this research has given some pretty clear answers to this
topic of inquiry. First of all, a college education is an absolutely critical component to
help somebody find a job once out of school. A high school diploma is beginning to lose
value every single year. It is too generalized and shows that the individual has no
specific knowledge that would prepare them enough to perform a certain job. It was
pretty well established that a four-year college degree is not becoming the new high
school diploma. In spite of the large amount of people that are graduating high school
and pursuing a college education, not everyone prevails successfully. According to The

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Value of a College Degree, As long as a college education challenges students, there
always will be a significant number who do not earn a degree. (Rose 32). This should
motivate students to study hard in college because their degree will really benefit them
in the long run. There are also many benefits that come along with a bachelors degree.
It will give an individual an obvious advantage over somebody with a high school
diploma because it shows a more specific set of knowledge and skills that are important
in that particular job setting. However, even though a four-year degree is very
important, the education that will give a person the highest level of success is a masters
or doctorate degree. The research showed that these two types of degrees have a high
level of risk involved but they could really pay off in the long term. The final conclusion
is that a college degree should be among the highest valued things in a persons life. It
holds the key to a successful career and living the American dream.

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Works Cited
Casse, Daniel, and Bruno V. Manno. "The Cost and Price of College and the Value of
Higher Education." Academic Questions. 11.4 (1998). Print.
Ip, Greg. "The Declining Value of Your College Degree." Wall Street Journal, Eastern
edition ed.Jul 17 2008. ProQuest. Web. 8 Oct. 2014.
Rose, S. "The Value of a College Degree." Change. 45.6 (2013): 24-33. Print.