Most people agree that a college degree benefits the individual that earns it. However, most people don’t realize that society as a whoe benefits when people graduate from college.
For example, college graduates are more likely to earn higher wages,which means their taxable income is higher. Whether you think taxes are too high or not, the government needs tax revenue to continue run its programs and college graduates play a big role in making that possible.
Along with higher incomes, college graduates are more likely to have health insurance provided by their employers and college graduates are more likely than high school grads to take advantage of employer-matched retirement plans. By taking care of their own health insurance and retirement needs, college graduates are less likely to have to depend solely on government programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
College graduates are more likely to volunteer and vote. In every age group, the more education a person has, the more likely that person is to vote and volunteer.
Overall, college graduates are healthier than people with only high school diplomas. They are less likely to smoke and to be obese. A healthier population puts less strain on the medical system, which benefits society at large.
When a recession hits, as they invariably do, college graduates are less likely to lose their jobs than high school graduates. This obviously benefits society as a whole since college graduates are less likely to have to take advantage of the unemployment system.
While a college degree is not a necessity to succeed in America, most people agree that is does help tremendously. More importantly, not only does a college diploma benefit those that hold the degree, their friends and loved ones, but indirectly, it benefits the entire population.