Economic Benefits of a Higher Education

The pursuit of higher education in America and throughout much of the West has become even more important than ever . As our societies are shifting away from the blue collar aspects of previous societies towards the white collar enticements of our highly technological societies , a greater demand follows such a shift . Throughout much of America 's history , college was available only to the elite of our societies . It was where gentleman went to refine their social status and to prepare for such pristine vocations as the law and politics . The average American

, especially after the Industrial Revolution in which nearly everything that was either consumed or used in America , was made in America by American factories and the American workers that it employed . That has completely changed and the number of high or even descent paying jobs which can be found in the shrinking number of American factories , is the exception , rather than the rule . This is the reality of the situation and even though politicians promise to bring these jobs back to America , in our free market economy , only an occasional tariff on foreign goods can be expected . As a result , in to maintain that standard of living which was once available to anyone who wanted to work , Americans are flocking to the community colleges and universities all across this country . Those who earn a college degree , can expect to make in their lifetime , a million dollars more than their counterpart who only finished high school . As a result the universities all across the nation are being seen as an effective vehicle towards a happier life that gives more choices for the individual in their pursuit of the American dream . The benefits of going to college can be seen on both a private and societal level as a college diploma benefits the individual and his or her family as well as the society in which they reside

In the past and throughout most of this country 's history , those who finished high school had an advantage over those who did not but even those who did have the ability to finish their schooling , still had their pick from the various factories , both large and small , which would employ anyone , regardless of their possession of a college degree , but rather based their decisions on those who wanted to work and who could complete the task to their satisfactory . On the job training was heavily valued to a greater degree than an applicant 's ability to recite the causes of England 's Civil War or who could recite the Preamble of the Constitution . Those who did finish college , usually fond themselves ridiculed for their achievement as it was seen as unnecessary and a waste of time and money . However , with the advent of technology and the ever increasing demand for improvements on various technologies from the general public , our nation now revolved around the computer and became highly centralized and advanced (Pearson , 2006 pg . A4 ) Technology is a positive factor...