What's that college degree worth?

**Hosakawa Tito** · 12-12-2010, 11:49

According to this article about $44. And as a companion piece, China's Army of Graduates Struggle for Good Jobs.

Thus, China, too, learns an ultimate truth: Everyone is not above average (or, in the American iteration, Everyone can't "get ahead.") Sooner or later, no matter how much learnin' you have, society will run out of jobs requiring learnin'.

Choose your career choice carefully boys and girls.

**a completely inoffensive name** · 12-12-2010, 12:25

Originally Posted by Hosakawa Tito

According to this article about $44. And as a companion piece, China's Army of Graduates Struggle for Good Jobs.

Thus, China, too, learns an ultimate truth: Everyone is not above average (or, in the American iteration, Everyone can't "get ahead.") Sooner or later, no matter how much learnin' you have, society will run out of jobs requiring learnin'.

Choose your career choice carefully boys and girls.

I think it is disingenuous to talk bad about the worth of a college degree in country that is most definitely in its early to mid stage of industrialization, still lacking a middle class majority to fuel demand for post industrial jobs.

**Hosakawa Tito** · 12-12-2010, 12:35

Hehehe, you think China is the only country with this problem, heck they're the canary in the coal mine? How many recent college graduates from the Eurozone, US, UK, and Canada are finding the job market a bit tight? Certainly, some of them post here.

**a completely inoffensive name** · 12-12-2010, 12:49

Originally Posted by Hosakawa Tito

Hehehe, you think China is the only country with this problem, heck they're the canary in the coal mine? How many recent college graduates from the Eurozone, US, UK, and Canada are finding the job market a bit tight? Certainly, some of them post here.

So you are saying that because we have an economy under performing and there is an unusual amount of increased job competition for undergrad required jobs, that suddenly evened out the college and high school only grads even though before the crash, undergrads were making an extra $20,000 a year in average over high school grads?

Lol, job market tight. Talk to detroit workers and then tell me how undergrad workers have been struggling. College educated workers are at 5% unemployment compared with 9.5% nationally. Idk, why people always try to justify not having more education. Is it too expensive? Oh yeah, it should not be where it is in price. Is it worth it? Always.

**Beskar** · 12-12-2010, 14:30

Also depends on the degree you took. For useless degrees, it isn't worth anything, but for the important ones, there are always jobs.

**The Stranger** · 12-13-2010, 00:08

Originally Posted by Beskar

Also depends on the degree you took. For useless degrees, it isn't worth anything, but for the important ones, there are always jobs.

what would qualify for a useless degree???

**Rhyfelwyr** · 12-12-2010, 14:40

Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

I think it is disingenuous to talk bad about the worth of a college degree in country that is most definitely in its early to mid stage of industrialization, still lacking a middle class majority to fuel demand for post industrial jobs.

Yep, when China pushed the education thing we in the west were all so impressed, we seem to think they are immune from having the same problems we do. At the end of the day if you don't have the grassroots development in society and the economy, such measures will always be artificial, and can't last.

**Tellos Athenaios** · 12-12-2010, 18:07

Actually in China the issue as portrayed by the article is that jobs might exist but require social connections to get. So moving to get a job is essentially self-defeating, and the only real option would be for these people to create their own jobs/start enterprises locally.

In America the issue is different. Often, programmes simply are not very good or even adequate. There are top education programmes in the states, but there are also utter rubbish ones. See the negative connotation attached to CS degrees for an example. As a result a generic degree doesn't really count for much.

**Crazed Rabbit** · 12-12-2010, 18:16

I'm happy with the return on my college degree.

It should be noted that even with an engineering degree and experience, it can still be tough to find a job.

CR

**Hosakawa Tito** · 12-12-2010, 21:36

Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

So you are saying that because we have an economy under performing and there is an unusual amount of increased job competition for undergrad required jobs, that suddenly evened out the college and high school only grads even though before the crash, undergrads were making an extra $20,000 a year in average over high school grads?

Lol, job market tight. Talk to detroit workers and then tell me how undergrad workers have been struggling. College educated workers are at 5% unemployment compared with 9.5% nationally. Idk, why people always try to justify not having more education. Is it too expensive? Oh yeah, it should not be where it is in price. Is it worth it? Always.

Ahh, but are the recently graduated college educated workers that are employed actually working in their chosen field of study let alone making enough to pay off their expensive loans? Not necessarily. That's why I said "choose wisely".

Originally Posted by Beskar

Also depends on the degree you took. For useless degrees, it isn't worth anything, but for the important ones, there are always jobs.

Yes, but not everyone is a Rhodes Scholar. The hot career choices of today can & do change tomorrow.

Originally Posted by Crazed Rabbit

I'm happy with the return on my college degree.

It should be noted that even with an engineering degree and experience, it can still be tough to find a job.

CR

Good for you CR. Here's another article that not only illustrates my point, but demonstrates the can do spirit it takes in this tough economic climate.