Why Is College Attendance Important

Why Is College Attendance Important? College Attendance and Intellectual Development Exploring interests that you might not otherwise have considered is an important part of the college experience. Many college freshman end up changing their majors after discovering new passions through general education classes and extracurricular activities. Related Articles Is the High Cost of Tuition Causing Decreased College Enrollment? Is the High Cost of Tuition Causing Decreased College Enrollment? College Tuition Costs and Comparisons College Tuition Costs and Comparisons Why Is a High School Education Important? Why Is a High School Education Important? College courses also teach critical thinking, logical reasoning, and communications skills that will serve you well in all aspects of your life. Expanding Your Social Circle Meeting people with different experiences is another important benefit of attending college. Many colleges have students from all over the world. In addition to helping you expand your social horizons, making friends with fellow students can provide a networking advantage when you're ready to enter the job market. Lifestyle Benefits Experts aren't sure why, but college graduates as a group tend to display the following characteristics in comparison to people without degrees: More likely to read to their children and help them with homework More likely to vote More likely to volunteer More likely to exercise Less likely to be overweight Less likely to smoke cigarettes Economic Benefit For most people, the primary benefit of college attendance is to gain an advantage in a competitive job market. Over their working lives, high school graduates can expect to earn an average of $1.2 million. In comparison, the average person with a bachelor's degree will earn $2.1 million, and someone with a master's degree will earn $2.5 million, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Of course, not all college degrees are created equal. From a strictly financial perspective, the following degrees are considered a wise investment: Petroleum engineering Aerospace engineering Chemical engineering Electrical engineering Nuclear engineering Applied mathematics Biomedical engineering Physics Computer engineering Economics On the opposite end of the spectrum are majors that historically lead to jobs with low salaries. Thus, such degrees may not always be worth taking on a huge amount of student loan debt to obtain. Child and family studies Elementary education Social work Athletic training Culinary arts Public health Art Theology Recreation and leisure Special education