Many people start saving for college for their children before they are even born.  The average in-state colleges in 2013 cost students 25,000 dollars a year and for out of state students costing a whopping 42,000.  With all that tuition money due, the average student in 2013 still owed 26,500 dollars in student debt.  So is a college education really worth it?

The answer: yes.  A college education is most definitely worth every penny.  Well, if you wanted to make a decent salary or living.  People with their bachelor’s degree earn 30,000 dollars more annually than someone who has their high school diploma, which equates to about 500,000 more in their lifetime.

Employers are more likely to hire people with higher schooling.  Not only is a college education vital for those who want to live comfortably, it is also very important to get the most schooling possible.  In January of 2007 to December of 2010, the amount of jobs requiring a college degree grew by over 187,000.  Jobs that require an associate’s degree, or two years of college dropped by 1.7 million and jobs that only required a high school diploma plummeted by 5.6 million.

College graduates are also reported to live a healthier and longer life.  83% of college graduates are reported to be in excellent health and exercise at least twice a week compared to the 73% of people with high school diplomas.  A Carnegie Mellon student held a 30 year peer reviewed study finding that college degrees link to lower blood pressure and lower levels of a stress hormone, cortisol.

So, in the end, a college education is very expensive, but also very important.