For this essay, my research question revolves around how does earning a college degree impact an individual’s quality of life in the United States? As a college student in the United States, I can relate to this subject as well as many others who are attending college or planning to attend college. This question relates to the growing debate about the value of a college education. Students are generally told to pursue a college education to become successful in their future by their family and teachers. For those who get a college education, they tend to earn higher salaries and are more marketable.. On the contrary, those who do not pursue a college education generally earn lower salaries and are less marketable. This has developed the ongoing debate of whether college is worth it. Student debt is a major social issue in the United States that correlates to college education as well. Many have argued whether the cost of getting a degree is worth the economic income they will receive with that degree. Although colleges offer a variety of undergraduate degrees, not all degrees lead to a successful career due to the demand in the workforce for specific degrees. S.T.E.M degrees are generally seen as the most successful in terms of the economic outcome they provide to an individual in comparison to other degrees. Many college students are graduating with other degrees and struggling to find a well paying job to pay their student loans. However, many people around the country have chosen not to pursue a college education and this has resulted in the absence of student debt in their lives. Many people without a college degree have had to take on lower salary jobs due to their lack of being marketable in the workforce. On the other hand, many people without a college degree have been able to become successful in life. Many people are naturally talented and skilled in certain areas that make them marketable without the need of a college degree.  Furthermore, there are other alternatives to college when seeking a career that can lead to a successful future.

The model essay that I have chosen for my research is “The value of a college education”, published by the Pew Research Center. This model essay relates to my research question through analyzing the different perspectives Americans have on the college education system. The model essay used the information gathered through the surveys conducted by the research center to compare the statistics pertaining to those with a college degree and those without a college degree This essay will help me structure my essay regarding this subject. By the end of this upcoming week, I will have gathered most of my secondary sources that I will be using throughout my essay as well as analyzing each source to gather the information I will use in my essay. As stated before, the targeted audience of the essay pertains to students who are close to finishing high school and thinking about continuing their education in college. Furthermore, there are also people out there who are thinking of pursuing a college education many years after getting their high school diploma. This research essay may help them better understand the different perspectives society has along with the statistical analysis on the college education system.

Model Essay: https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2016/10/06/5-the-value-of-a-college-education/

Works Cited:

“The ROI of a Bachelor’s Degree.” Bachelor’s Degree Completion, www.northeastern.edu/bachelors-completion/news/is-a-bachelors-degree-worth-it/.

“Is a STEM Degree a Good Investment?” Value Colleges, www.valuecolleges.com/resources/faqs/is-a-stem-degree-a-good-investment/.

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