Are U.S. colleges still worth the cost? “No. Absolutely not. You’ll survive without a college degree. It’s only for those who want ‘extra education’ and parties.” says James Sum, St. Mary’s Class of 2025, University of Pennsylvania’s Class of 2029.
Most students, like me included, question whether colleges are really needed for succeeding in life. Of course, as a lot of people say, colleges widen job opportunities and experience vital for living life. Nonetheless, the tuition fee is rising to a point where most students can’t afford to pay a full price. Scholarships exist but are extremely limited to the top students taking up averagely less than 13 percent of each university school.
College tuition fees now are nearly 40 times of what it was in 1963. Even after accounting for inflation, tuition fees have risen by 312.4 percent. The number is only expected to rise, with a yearly rate of 2.28 percent. The belief that going to college will automatically guarantee a high-paying job is a long gone story: only around 62 percent of US-passport students are employed immediately after, and 45 percent for international students. With the current US policies and visa regulations, the possibility for international students working in the US is expected to decrease.
As seen, choosing US colleges and universities has become a huge financial gamble. In the worst case scenario, students may find themselves, after four years of hard work and studying, a massive debt anywhere between $120,000 and $320,000. Those looking to fulfill their education in the US must proceed with caution and prudence. The “land of freedom” is not so free, especially not from student debt.
