This is the crux of the matter. I wonder if there are statistics out there for people with "employable" degrees, as opposed to art history, philosophy, and the like.

I sure don't know any of my fellow engineering graduates who think college wasn't worth it.

I always like to start with the end in mind.

So what do you want?

Once you answer that question then you'll know if college is necessary. I wouldn't get a degree just for the heck of it (unless you love school.)

You may think this is oversimplified.. but it's really not, because until you know what you want to do, you don't know what it's going to take to get there.

Good luck! Dee

Good point. While I don't agree with you on how useful college education is, online education does have its perks.

I just found a way to get a Bachelor of Commerce degree from a well respected university online over two years - after they count my entrepreneurial experience as "life experience" towards entrance requirements. Bachelor degree in two years without losing my income and having to relocate? Sounds like a dream. Does cost a good coin ($12,000) will I see this money come back tenfold in a shape of higher income and better life quality? You bet.

I def think that college is a must have and 100% worth it. Like rickyjo said, I do agree that online education is another alternative if you are unable to attend a live university for whatever reason and that online education is a perfect way to complete your degree on your own time and in a more specialized manner. If you're wanting to be a CFO then yes you will need a degree, probably multiple degrees but like others have said I believe its all about networking and using the resources you are given in college in order to set yourself up for opportunities following graduation. I went into the Health industry and instantly I found multiple resources and groups that in order to network with professionals and study outside of the classroom on something I would be interested in getting involved with as a career. Finding a program that is right for you is key and if you're interested in the health field check out [spam removed] which offers plenty of options in regards career opportunities, length to complete your degree, salary expectations etc.

For those who say college is not worth the money is out of their mind. It's the one piece of paper that can take you as far as you'd like it to in life and if you set yourself up on the right path and in the right programs, you can find a job in any profession you would like.

I also think so!

College is important. I attended an average private university and got a degree in business administration with a 3.0 GPA. Tried for years to get out of retail but it wasn't until I got my MBA (and started networking more) that companies in other industries began looking at me. Of course, this meant going slow (started taking 1 class a semester) and working (40-60 hours a week at times with 2 jobs) throughout my MBA degree (took 5.5 years but graduated with no school debt).

If considering business: A) Pursue a degree in accounting or finance instead of the ever popular management/marketing. B) Also consider that not all degrees are created the same. A degree from TCU, A&M, or UT wouldn't be considered in the same category as Texas College or Texas Southern University. The level of education and networking from the two school categories would also be different.

If you pursue a college degree keep in mind that companies are looking for something that sets you apart. Potential employers are not just looking at your GPA but a person that will fit into their company culture (Small Business or Corporation). They will also consider experience, interests, causes, and of course work ethic. Having a strong interview and knowing about the company is helpful as well.

In any case that's my 2 cents. Hope this helps.

As rightly said in one of the above posts, college is an opportunity, if you make complete use of it, it is totally worth it. You need to make use of every resource and facility available to you for learning. So its totally in your hands what you want to make of it.

This topic is very relative, on every profession.

I am a Sofware Engineer here in Argentina, and I can say to you that (at least for this profession) you really don't need a degree to be a good professional. Technologies change SO fast that college is not sufficient to teach everything you need to know, so you must start learning by yourself all the latest stuff that applies to your work area.

The only big difference is how high you can get on a corporation, if you want management and leading areas, then the college degree will help you to achieve the goal with ease. Else you can still get there, but will cost more time and effort.

If I had to start over, I won't choose College for this profession, all that time spent studying useless signatures, I would use it studying the most important things that will make me a better professional, but that's only my opinion.

Regards!

That is true. For example, if you're a Psychology major, I don't think you'd learn everything that you need to know just by taking an online course. How on earth would you know for sure that all the experiments and research you're doing are right without the guidance of a professor and have the help of co-majors?

For business related courses though, I think you can learn that online, though going to college for that can help you with some other perks such as getting introduced to companies, getting more access to conventions that you could learn from, and the like.