Guest
08-15-2012, 02:50 PM
We seem to be focused on turning our more and more college graduates with four-year degrees at a minimum. The idea behind this is that the student will make money and in general, enjoy a better life. While this is true for graduates with degrees in engineering, mathematics, and science as well as those going onto medical school or law school, it is not necessarily true for those in other fields.
I am using information provided to me by the staff and leadership of Valencia Community College in Orlando (one of the nation’s largest community colleges) and data taken from recent analysis done by public and private universities. Students graduating from a two-year course leading to an Associate’s degree earn 20% more on graduation than the average for those with a four-year degree ($33,000 vs. $27,000) Students pay 40% less in tuition at a Community College than those attending Public Universities. Part-time work is typically easier to find and pays more for students that attend Community College than those attending Public Universities (big city vs. College town). Students attending Community Colleges graduate with little or no student loan debt while Public University graduates have an average student loan debt of more than $20,000.
The reason for the salary difference is easy to understand. Graduates from a Community College emerge with a useful skill that can immediately be put to use by a business, graduates from a Public University do not. When degreed skills are comparable, such as RN’s, pay for a Community College graduate and pay for a four-year graduate are the same. Costs are different because at a Public University part of the reason you attend is for ‘the college experience’ (Sororities, Frats, football games, spring breaks with friends, etc.) At a Community College, you go to get a skill and learn how to make a good living.
It is not only Community College graduates that get paid more, but skilled blue-collar workers as well. Plumbers, electronic technicians, tool and die makers, mold makers, CNC operators and welders are very much in demand and very highly paid. A skilled underwater welder can make over $1,000 per day plus a great benefits package.
There is a reason why one of the more popular lawyer jokes is, A lawyer in California needed a leak fixed and called the plumber; who after about 45 minutes was done and all cleaned up. “That will be $275″ said the plumber. The lawyer objected saying “I’m a lawyer, and I don’t even get that much an hour! “The plumber responded: “I didn’t either, when I was a lawyer”.
Perhaps it’s time we rethought our educational priorities.
I am using information provided to me by the staff and leadership of Valencia Community College in Orlando (one of the nation’s largest community colleges) and data taken from recent analysis done by public and private universities. Students graduating from a two-year course leading to an Associate’s degree earn 20% more on graduation than the average for those with a four-year degree ($33,000 vs. $27,000) Students pay 40% less in tuition at a Community College than those attending Public Universities. Part-time work is typically easier to find and pays more for students that attend Community College than those attending Public Universities (big city vs. College town). Students attending Community Colleges graduate with little or no student loan debt while Public University graduates have an average student loan debt of more than $20,000.
The reason for the salary difference is easy to understand. Graduates from a Community College emerge with a useful skill that can immediately be put to use by a business, graduates from a Public University do not. When degreed skills are comparable, such as RN’s, pay for a Community College graduate and pay for a four-year graduate are the same. Costs are different because at a Public University part of the reason you attend is for ‘the college experience’ (Sororities, Frats, football games, spring breaks with friends, etc.) At a Community College, you go to get a skill and learn how to make a good living.
It is not only Community College graduates that get paid more, but skilled blue-collar workers as well. Plumbers, electronic technicians, tool and die makers, mold makers, CNC operators and welders are very much in demand and very highly paid. A skilled underwater welder can make over $1,000 per day plus a great benefits package.
There is a reason why one of the more popular lawyer jokes is, A lawyer in California needed a leak fixed and called the plumber; who after about 45 minutes was done and all cleaned up. “That will be $275″ said the plumber. The lawyer objected saying “I’m a lawyer, and I don’t even get that much an hour! “The plumber responded: “I didn’t either, when I was a lawyer”.
Perhaps it’s time we rethought our educational priorities.