Obtaining a college degree is a big decision that can provide you with wide-ranging benefits. A college degree can equip you for starting or advancing in your career, set you apart from other people in your industry, bring you joy and self-confidence, and even help you acquire new friends and mentors. If you are considering earning a college degree, here are some of the many benefits it can bring you.
Increased Income
The potential of being paid more is one of the main drivers for those who pursue a college degree. According to State Higher Education Executive Officers Associate, high school graduates earn around $30,000 a year on average, while graduates who have a bachelor’s degree receive an average of $50,000 a year. Earnings vary from industry to industry and by experience.
Employee Benefits
Most jobs that require a college degree include benefits that help you and your family. Healthcare, retirement, paid time off, and other valuable perks are typical benefits for higher paying professions. Sometimes benefits can be even more valuable than the salary you receive.
Career Mobility & Stability
Receiving a college degree can open doors to a career path that fits your goals and aspirations. The best college programs train you to think analytically, effectively communicate ideas, and work collaboratively within a team. At college, you can enhance your organization skills, leadership, self-discipline, and ability to complete projects from start to finish.
A college education can also prepare you for opportunities to move up in your organization beyond entry level. These promotions and advancements typically come with increased salary and perhaps improved benefits. The experience and knowledge gained in a college degree program can also help to increase your job stability in tough economic times.
Professional Connections
Throughout your college experience, you’ll meet peers and faculty members who help in molding you into a better person and professional. Your program’s classmates can offer support and encouragement during the program and networking opportunities after you graduate. Your faculty members will have even greater expertise to share with you and can serve as excellent professional references and mentors.
Family Role Model
Families of college graduates tend to be better off economically and socially, so you can look at attending college as an investment in yourself as well as in the future of your family. The children of college graduates are also much more likely to attend and graduate college themselves than those with parents without college degrees.
Self-Confidence
Earning your degree can give you the confidence and self-assurance you need to keep pursuing and achieving your dreams. By pushing through difficult assignments and hitting project deadlines, you’ll realize what you’re capable of when you apply yourself. By sharing your thoughts in the classroom and asking questions when you need support, you’ll see how much you can contribute to professional conversations and that asking questions is a powerful tool for learning and growing. After you graduate, you can take everything you learn about your value and your strengths and apply it in the professional world.
Job Satisfaction
Earning a college degree can lead to a career doing what makes you happy, which in turn can motivate you to learn fast and perform better on the job. When you feel fulfilled at work, you’ll also experience a greater overall satisfaction with life and a greater sense of well-being and optimism. To find the degree program at South College that matches your goals and that will lead to a career you enjoy, explore our academic program offering or request more information below.
Editor’s Note: This blog was originally published on 2/9/17 & has been updated to include new information.
