March 31st, 2016 by schoolbound
There are many benefits from getting a college degree; the most obvious being better wages and less unemployment. One great example is someone with an associate degree earns more than $100 dollars more than someone with just a high school diploma.
But did you know that there are also links between education and divorce rate? Or that people who go to college live longer? There is even data that suggests that people with a college degree are skinnier!
The specific information on how much you will benefit from having a college degree can be found from multiple sources, like the Department of Labor and the Census Department. In this blog post, you will find stats taken directly from those sources.
Weekly Pay and Unemployment Rates
Other Benefits of Having a Degree
Here are some more interesting stats about the difference between people with just a high school diploma and people with a college degree that you may not have known.
– Divorce Rate: People with a bachelor’s degree were 20 percent less likely to be divorced.
– Length of Life: Those with a college degree live about 2 to 4 years longer.
– Obesity: Those with just a high school diploma were almost twice as likely to be obese than college graduates.
Different Degree Types
Knowing the benefits of a degree is certainly something to consider, but most people choose their degrees based on how long they want to go to school and what career they want to pursue. There are several different options:
– Certificates
These are normally programs that take from one to two years; some even take less than that. Most certificates available are in specific career fields; for example, you can earn a certificate in medical assisting or in aviation technology.
– Associate Degree
An associate program is a two-year degree. Many students use this degree as a stepping stone toward getting a bachelor’s. There are also quite a few careers that require only an associate degree – such as construction management or occupational therapy assisting.
– Bachelor’s Degree
When you graduate from high school, you can decide to either enter into an associate or bachelor’s program (which is a four-year degree). This degree is the most common degree people earn and that is required for different jobs. When you enter into a bachelor’s degree program, you declare a major that is often connected to what career you want to pursue. For example, many people who decide to be a nurse earn a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. Another example of a major is business administration, which is a good choice for people who want a job in management.
– Master’s Degree
After people graduate with a bachelor’s degree, many decide to enter into a two-year master’s program. It’s a good idea for people who want to move higher up the career ladder or earn more money in certain fields, like engineering or education. Also, some occupations may require you to have a master’s degree; for example, if you want to be a librarian or nurse practitioner.
– Doctorate
A doctorate, PhD, or doctoral degree is the highest level of education you can achieve. On top of a four-year bachelor’s and a two-year master’s, some people decide to go to school two more years (sometimes longer). Depending on your career field, this can lead to higher wages and more career options. There are also a few jobs that require it – people who want to become college professors often have to earn a PhD in the subject they want to teach, for instance.