Jonathan Withrow

Instructor: Malcolm Campbell

English 1103
November 7, 2015

Degrees vs Dirty Jobs: Is a college degree always better?

Today more than ever the argument of whether or not college is worth it is talked about
far more than it ever has been in the past here in the United States. In many other highly
developed western countries in Europe, however, education is subsidized tremendously making
it very inexpensive to attend. In 2010, recent college graduates left school owing an average of
$25,250 in student loans--the highest amount ever. Frustration with the economy and high
unemployment rates is consistently shaping public opinion as college degrees, traditionally
thought of as safeguards against unemployment, no longer guarantee gainful positions.
According to the College Board, going to college costs between three and four times as much as
it did 20 years ago. These statistics by the College Board and the U.S News and Record shows
the astronomical growth of the cost of attending college. But now in the US more than ever
young people just graduating high school as well as people who are older and have been in the
workforce for years are feeling pressure to attend college but it is not just for the general aspect
of gaining knowledge but to broaden job opportunities and to obtain better paying jobs. But do
the pros really outweigh the cons? Why do American high schools put down students for not
wishing to attend college? How has vocational school changed over time in purpose and

perception in the United States? These are some of the questions which will attempt to be
answered in the essay.

Why the Stigma?

Why is it frowned upon if a young person does not wish to attend college? Why is it
drilled into the minds of every youth in America that every level of schooling must lead into
another? Why is vocational school frowned upon in the United States? In the high schools across
the United States all children are told that they have the opportunity to be whatever they want
and that college is a tool to get you anywhere you want to be. While the guidance counselor is
telling everyone to do better so that they may get into the best college possible when the reality
of it is college is not for everyone. Students feel tremendous pressure to attend college and those
pressuring them are not coming from an evil, tyrannical place. Parents, teachers, guidance
counselors, and even fellow students and peers may tell these young people that they must attend
college. If a student states that they wish to be a plumber or electrician another vocational job
they may be looked down upon simply because they are not glamorous jobs even though they
pay well and are in high demand. What is not glamorous about a job and financial security?
Should the stigma not in fact be on those seeking extremely expensive degrees for jobs with low
demand? The recession of 2008 is still having a tremendous impact on us today and the
unemployment rate is still high. One of the main problems we suffer from in America happens to
be in infrastructure and we have a long way to go before making our infrastructure up to par.
There is high demand for these jobs such as construction workers and welders yet the number of
individuals into these work forces is declining every year. The jobs themselves are not the only
things thatwhich are plagued by a stigma. Alternative forms of further education also have a

stigma about them, some justified and some not. Many non-accredited universities and trade
schools have used unjust practices and have taken advantage of many people making some wary
of going that route. An alternative to high school education is vocational school which has
greatly varied in its perception by the American public.
Vocational Education
Vocational education wasnt designed to prepare students for college. The SmithHughes Act of 1917, the law that first authorized federal funding for vocational education in
American schools, explicitly described vocational education as preparation for careers not
requiring a bachelors degree. This quote from Emily Hanford states the initial purpose of
vocational education, and when it was implemented in 1917 it fell well into the current American
lifestyle. During this time many immigrants were coming from all over the world to America and
the rise in factories and infrastructure jobs provided a place for vocational education. From the
early twentieth century to nearly 1970, vocational schooling was a route taken by many less
educated and less wealthy families. High schools focused on preparing upper middle and higher
class youth with liberal arts educations to prepare them for universities. By the 1970s, the
makeup of the United States workforce had changed, the jobs the required only a high school
degree were disappearing and with the adaptation of a variety of new technologies, higher
education became necessary and vocational education in its current state could not prepare
children as efficiently as high school for the current economy. The problem being that vocation
education only prepared students for one skill and now more than ever multiple skills and traits
were needed for the workforce. Near the end of the 1990s however vocational education was
seen as a dumping ground for troubled youth. No longer was it seen as means of developing a
task solely to obtain a job right out of high school. To many it was seen as merely as second tier

special education program. Vocational schools were funded by the government and with the
adaptation of No Cchild Lleft Bbehind to continue to receive funding these vocational schools,
academics had to increase tremendously. This occurred in many cases and now vocational
education is a making a surge as a respected alternative to traditional high schools,. pPreparing
youth for jobs in todays economy for example in the fields such as welding and biotechnology
just to name twoa few. It has also become well rounded by also preparing students with the skills
they need to advance to a college if they so choose.
The diversityies of colleges and universities around the country has increased
exponentially in the past few decades her in the United States.
What college does provide
Even though college is utilized primarily to obtain a job that is not its only benefit.
Attending college has a wide array of benefits such as improving social skills, furthering
knowledge in your interests, and iy gives you the opportunity to explore new interests in a
diverse environment. All of these things aid in becoming a well-rounded individual not just
someone whose skills are defined to one certain task or job. The networking opportunities in
college are near endless and if one chooses to apply themselves, a world of opportunities can
open up from attending college. Being in college allows you to be connected with some of the
most experienced and knowledgeable people in the field of study in which you wish to pursue.
These professors can also aid in the beginning stages of the job seeking process and make
transition out of school easier based off of their experiences.
The diversities of colleges and universities around the country has increased
exponentially in the past few decades her in the United States. diversity of the United States

higher education systemThis puts you around a variety of different people with a variety of
backgrounds. This allows you to become culturally aware and be able to develop a broader world
view. The average difference in pay is nothing to overlook either. Every year the pay gap
between college and non-college graduates has been increasing significantly over the past few
years. The Labor Department statistics by the Economic Policy Institute in Washington that
Americans with a four year degree earned 98 percent more than Americans who do not have a
college degree.
Employers do not only look at the degree you received while in college, but the social
growth and alternative learning experiences gained from college. After graduation from college
the graduates have had time to learn their likes and dislikes, learning styles, and which type of
work environments best benefit them. This instills confidence in the stability of the employee.

Whats it worth?
As stated earlier in the paper the cost of attending college in the United States is higher now than
ever before. So even though college does provide a multitude of benefits, attending college is not
the only way that someone may experience these things. Attending college does not guarantee
greater financial prosperity even though statistics do support this claimdue to the increased
number of unemployed recent college graduates with a 4 year degree. Data from the Huffington
Post shows that nearly 48 percent of college graduates of the class of 2010 work at jobs which do
not require a college degree. Regardless what you get out if college directly correlates to the
work in which you put in to it. If you attend college and pull what you want out of it with a large
amount of student loan debt there is nothing wrong with that. Blindly attending college with no

end goal or true desire to better yourself can end up being extremely detrimental in the long run.
If all you want out of college is to obtain a better paying job than most Americans then that is
fine as well. With that being said a college degree is not always in fact better for every single
person. The dropout rate of college students in America is 56 percent according to Jordan
Weissmann in the article Americas Awful College Dropout Rates. This is the highest college
dropout rate in the developed world. Coupled with the rising cost of tuition and mounting student
loan debts it hurts the students, as well as the tax payer, as many times these individuals default
on their loans which hurts the American tax payer. The youth of America should not be pressured
into entering a system that is clearly flawed in its current state and may be detrimental rather
than beneficial in many cases. Not everyone is going to have a white collar job. There is nothing
wrong with that and it should not be looked down upon. Working harder in many cases is
working smarter. Every year the cost of attending a 4 year college increases. Clearly both the
American primary and secondary education system have their flaws seeing as how every year we
regress globally in terms of ranking on the education of our citizens. In America we do attempt to
give everyone who wishes to attend college the opportunity to go finically through federal
assistance, this has its benefits and its drawbacks.
Large scale have also started to emerge in greater numbers her in the United States.
Rather than depend on colleges to teach perspective employees, many businesses have decided to
bring them in a train them directly. This greatly benefits both the employer and employee by
giving hands on training directly for the job in wish they want to obtain. These apprenticeships
pay well many times and often lead to full time jobs for the former apprentice as well.
Apprenticeships are a staple in the German work force and are a major part in their strong
economy. Here in the United States on the other hand apprenticeships only make up .03 percent

of the work force. Growth in this sector has potential to make a large impact in the United States
economy.
Since 1965 however the average median pay for those only possess a high school
diploma has decreased while the average median pay for those containing a Bachelors degree or
higher has increased according to Pewsocialtrends.org. From $31,384 to $28,000 for high school
graduates, and for college graduates from $38,833 to $45,500. The pay margin grows wider
every year and does not appear to be regressing anytime in the near future.
Conclusion
To conclude this essay and answers it primary question the answer is no, a college degree
is not always the best option for everyone. America has moved away from vocational work due
to an ill-deserved back image placed over it as well as vocational schooling. Now for the first
time in nearly a century vocation education and work is gaining the respect it deserves. Many
jobs fields are now open which do not require a 4 year degree and also pay well. With this in
mind it starts in a high school classrooms. Students should never feel pressured to attend college
and it is a choice of their own, not their parents, teachers or guidance counselors.

Works Cited
Abel, Jaison R., and Richard Deitz. Federal Reserve Bank of New York 20.3 (2014): 2-11.
Newyorkfed.org. 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.

Dukcevich, Davide. College Vs. No College." Forbes, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2015

Hanford, Emily. "The troubled history of vocational education." American RadioWorks. N.p., 09
Sept. 2014. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.

Gillespie, Nick. "Diplomas vs. Dirty Jobs." Reason.com. N.p., 20 Mar. 2014. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.

Peralta, Katherine. "Apprenticeships Could Be Gateway to Middle Class." US News. U.S.News

Weissmann, Jordan. "Americas Awful College Dropout Rates, in Four Charts." Slate.
Moneybox, n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2015
McGuinness, William. "Half Of Recent College Grads Work Jobs That Don't Require A Degree:
Report." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015..