{"id":39699,"date":"2016-04-25T10:30:01","date_gmt":"2016-04-25T18:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=39699"},"modified":"2016-04-25T10:30:01","modified_gmt":"2016-04-25T18:30:01","slug":"the-value-of-continuing-your-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/the-value-of-continuing-your-education\/","title":{"rendered":"The 3 Values of Continuing Your Education"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/b>Sometimes it seems like higher education has become so ingrained in our culture that it\u2019s simply a platitude to suggest anyone go back to school. That said, only <\/span>39.4 percent<\/span><\/a> of Americans between the ages of 25 and 64 hold college degrees, meaning that the benefits of higher education must not be as apparent as we may think. Let\u2019s examine three concrete benefits derived from continuing your education: higher pay, better work and greater happiness.<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. \n

    Continuing Your Education Helps You Earn More Money<\/b><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Let\u2019s begin with what\u2019s likely the most commonly cited benefit of pursuing higher education: making more money. But exactly how much more money are we talking about? Median wages at our baseline, a high school diploma, are <\/span>$668<\/span><\/a> a week, or $34,736 a year. A bachelor\u2019s degree raises those numbers to <\/span>$1,101<\/span><\/a> a week, or $57,252 a year \u2013 an increase of almost 65 percent. A master\u2019s degree improves things even further, bumping median weekly wages to <\/span>$1,326<\/span><\/a> and annual wages to $68,952 \u2013 almost 99{54c12dad2cc2b53ae830e39915b1a3e70288dbcbbeb8bbf8395437c5dc3c512c} percent over our baseline. It takes a high school graduate two days to earn what a master\u2019s degree holder earns in one. Now that\u2019s value!<\/span><\/p>\n

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    1. \n

      Continuing Your Education Can Get You a Better Job<\/b><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Higher wages are a result of better job opportunities, which require greater educational attainment.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Let\u2019s start at the bottom of the equation with unemployment. The unemployment rate at high school graduates is <\/span>6.0 percent<\/span><\/a>. That\u2019s nearly double the rate for bachelor\u2019s degree holders, which is <\/span>3.5 percent<\/span><\/a>, and more than double for master\u2019s degree holders, which is about <\/span>2.8 percent<\/span><\/a>. Without higher education, you\u2019re twice as likely to not have a job, period. Indeed, it\u2019s predicted that by 2018 almost <\/span>two-thirds<\/span><\/a> of all occupations in the United States will require a college degree.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Beyond winning you a job, higher education can get you more work. Underemployment, or being employed only part time when seeking full time work, is less frequently discussed than unemployment, but it is much more pervasive. Underemployment of high school graduates currently stands at <\/span>12.9 percent<\/span><\/a> \u2013 more than twice the rate for holders of bachelor\u2019s degrees, at <\/span>6.2 percent<\/span><\/a>, and thrice that of master\u2019s degree holders, at <\/span>4.2 percent<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Seventy-four percent<\/span><\/a> of American adults believe a postsecondary degree is essential to getting a good job, but what do the people making hiring and promotion decisions think? The same! Companies themselves attest to this, a <\/span>third<\/span><\/a> of managers surveyed say they have sent workers to back to school for higher education, <\/span>81 percent<\/span><\/a> of them even picking up part of the tab. <\/span>That<\/span><\/i> is a win-win!<\/span><\/p>\n

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      1. \n

        Continuing Your Education Can Make You Happier<\/b><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Now this may be something you haven\u2019t heard before, but higher education may not just be the key to more money and a better job, but to greater happiness. That\u2019s a big statement that the numbers support: When examining well-being levels across American cities, researchers found that happiness has the closest relationship not with wages, unemployment or output, but with <\/span>educational attainment<\/span><\/a>, measured as the share of the population with a bachelor\u2019s degree or higher. Similarly, educational attainment has been shown to <\/span>boost happiness<\/span><\/a> early in life and keep it that way, unlike income, which raises over time but does not increase happiness.<\/span><\/p>\n

        More money, a better job, greater happiness — you <\/span>can <\/span><\/i>have it all, and higher education is the way to start.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Roslyn Tate is an editor on the <\/span>2U Inc. website.<\/span><\/a> A recent Goddard College MFA she enjoys helping people achieve their goals through academics and art. 2U partners with leading colleges and universities to offer online master’s degree programs to students around the world.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Let\u2019s examine three concrete benefits derived from continuing your education: higher pay, better work and greater happiness. 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