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 that 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. 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 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 Child Left
Behind 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, preparing youth for jobs in todays economy
for example in the fields such as welding and biotechnology just to name two. 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 diversity 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 diversity of the United States higher education system 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 due 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., 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.