Sociology enseignement supérieur

In our society, getting a college education has become an important step for achieving higher quality of life, higher pay and higher social status. For some, not getting a college education is unthinkable, for others, achieving a higher education might be the most challenging moment they will come across. But what exactly represent a college education? Does it provide the same benefits for everybody? Is it economically worth the same for everyone, regardless of class, race, gender and disability? We will look at how ascribed status, as well as achieved status can change dramatically the value of a college education. But first, let’s see what it means to get a higher degree.

COLLEGE EDUCATION

When it comes to the value of a college degree, sources are arguing. Some say that it is worth over 2 millions over a lifetime, compared to someone who has finished high school only. Others take in consideration the high cost of an education, adding the years of lost revenue for not being in the work force and come up with an average of $400 000 higher pay for college educated people’s lifespan. It is a fact that someone with a bachelor’s degree will earn more every year than someone with only a high school diploma. People with even higher degree, like Masters and PhD are definitely going to be top earners.

DIFFERENCE IN CLASSES

A college education doesn’t have the same economic value for someone from the upper class compared to someone from the middle class. For someone from the capitalist class, just being born into said upper class is often worth more than getting an education. If someone comes from a prominent family, money is most likely to abound. Having a degree will look good, but this person’s future will be bright and luxurious, college education or not. For this ‘’old money’’ person, wealth will be more important than the amount a degree could equal to.

For someone from a lower class like the working poor or even the underclass, a college education might look like an unattainable goal, but if accomplished, it could be priceless and even result in upward mobility, be it intragenerational and intergenerational. It could mean the end of struggling.

Still, if a person from upper class and one from lower were to apply for the same job, chances are that if the upper-class person would get the job, their salary would be higher, while if the lower-class person would get hired, their salary would mostly be lower. The college education might be the same, but what their separate class represents might play a role in deciding how much they’ll make. If an employer

Accordingly, a college degree might add prestige to one from an upper-class, but for a lower class person, a college education certainly means a more stable life, a higher pay and a better quality of life.

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