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College Degrees More Expensive, Worth Less in Job Market

From CNN/Time. The latest wrench to be thrown into the college costs/worth argument.

"The problem isn't just a soft job market — it's an oversupply of graduates. In 1973, a bachelor's degree was more of a rarity, since just 47% of high school graduates went on to college. By October 2008, that number had risen to nearly 70%. For many Americans today, a trip through college is considered as much of a birthright as a driver's license."

Here's my two cents on the whole college thing:
Rethink the Value of College (includes links to other college-related articles)

Even Donald Trump's now-defunct "You're Fired!" business TV show taught us that street smarts are more successful than book smarts.

Here's my two cents on education for stability rather than the quick buck: The NEW Lessons in Higher Education.

One last bit: the scrap metal man who picked up my old refrigerator and stove has two kids in college--he collects metal and turns it into tuition money, just like the city picks up your recycling and turns it into general revenue money. Collecting valuable items, no matter how lowly, pays handsomely over time, requires no education at all, and it doesn't matter what the economy's doing--people are always going to get rid of stuff, and have no means to cash it in themselves, so they're always going to call or leave stuff out on the curb.

When I lived in Texas, I made a good bit of money with yard sales--people would leave perfectly good furniture out to the curb, and I would beat the trash man to it, take it home, refurbish it with new paint and/or hardware, and sell it the following weekend for near-retail prices. Often, the people who put stuff out to the curb would end up buying it back after I got through sprucing it up. All I needed was a truck, a few supplies, and a vivid imagination.

Posted by Cute at 7:55 PM

Labels: education/career, financial (non-tax)