Jobs and College Costs

According to an article on the CNN Money website from 2012, the average cost of tuition alone at a public school is $8,655 per year and the average cost for one year of private school tuition is $29,056.  This doesn't even include room, board, books, or travel.  Those items could tack on as much as $15,000 more!  Students often wonder why we push the concept of commuting to campus.  The amount of money students are spending on their education these days is painful.  Another painful statistic is the fact that the average 4 year degree is taking 5.5 years to complete! 

Students are also spending a crazy amount of money on degrees with little or no projected growth or jobs in the near future.  The Occupational Outlook Handbook produced by the United States Department of Labor lists the fastest growing occupations in 2010-2020.  ONE out of the top ten careers listed requires a bachelor’s degree!  Check out the Occupational Outlook Handbook for more information on top growing careers.    

Realizing that a four year degree is not mandatory for success after high school, we are exposing students to options other than four year degrees.  We take all of our freshmen students to the Erie County Technical School to tour various labs and to see first hand the amazing programs they offer.  We have many students that go this route and graduate high school with certifications that lead straight into a career.  We bring in speakers from the local technical schools to speak about certificate and two year programs.  We also offer the military representatives a chance to speak at our career days and set up tables in the cafeteria during lunch. 

We want students to choose a path that is right for them.  We also want students to be aware of the high college costs and to choose the right priced school or program for their needs and financial capabilities.  Currently, the school counselors are listening to the junior graduation project presentations.  One of the requirements in this presentation is to list the total cost for four years for the colleges/institutions that the student is considering.  It has been a real eye opener for students to see that four years of schooling could cost them anywhere from $40,000 to $200,000+. As always we will continue to push smart college choices, career research, and comparison of school prices with the quality of academic programs.