¶ … Earning an Education Degree The advantages a person can realize with a college degree are numerous. And getting a bachelor's degree in education has many benefits for those who wish to go into teaching. The nation always needs quality teachers, and getting a degree in Education helps prepare a student for this vitally important aspect of learning in America. This paper examines and critiques the opportunities that are out there for a person with a degree in Education. Every student that has a chance to attend a college or university should seize that opportunity and make the most of it. In this paper the importance of a degree in education will be fully presented and critiqued.

How much is a college or university degree actually worth in dollar terms?

First of all, the basic facts of obtaining a college or university degree are eye-openers. A study conducted by Arizona State University determined that when a person has a bachelor's degree that person earns about $750,000 more over the course of a lifetime of earning than a person with just a high school diploma earns. This of course includes a bachelor's in the field of education, which is aimed at future teachers but is of great benefit to a scholar whether that person goes on to become a teacher or not (Immigration Policy Center -- IPC, 2010, p. 1).

The data from that Arizona State University study indicates that as of 2006, those working without a high school diploma earned approximately $419 per week and had an unemployment rate of 6.8%, the IPC explains. Those with a bachelor's degree earned approximately $962 per seek and their rate of unemployment was only 2.3%; over their careers college graduates earn "in excels of 60% more than a high school graduate, and workers with advanced degrees earn two to three times as much as high school graduates" (IPC, p. 2).

The costs of a higher education are going up, albeit recent legislation...

Still, the investment a student makes in his or her schooling -- towards a degree in Education or towards another degree -- is significant but well worth it. The U.S. Department of Education has put out a report called "Think College Early"; the report estimates that a fulltime student attending a four-year, public college or university "spends an average of $8,655 every year on in-state tuition, room, and board" (Degree Advantage). A student attending a community college spends about $1,359 a year on tuition, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Getting a degree with a major in Education -- the smart way to launch a career

Speaking of community colleges (public, 2-year institutions), there are many advantages to majoring in Education in a community college -- or at least starting out one's approach to a teaching degree at the community college level. According to the Teacher World Web site, getting an associate's degree in Education saves the student money. Many students who graduate from four-year colleges incur a lot of debt (borrowing to pay one's way adds up to a big debt at the end of the four years). Since it is far less expensive to attend a community college, it makes good sense to go that route for many students; they can live at home and continue their jobs. Moreover, most "core courses" in Education will transfer to a four-year college or university once the student has finished the associate's degree at a community college, Teacher World explains.

While attending classes at a community college -- majoring in Education -- the student can keep a job and even save money for enrollment in a four-year university once the associate's degree has been achieved, Teacher World continues. "Many four-year colleges and universities find that students with an associate's degree in education are more mature and make better students" than those who go from high school right into a four-year program, Teacher World asserts. And also, getting an associate's degree with a major in Education means the student can find jobs in education (teacher's aid, paraprofessional, among other positions) without going for the four-year bachelor's degree. It is true that some students really aren't ready for a four-year commitment and hence, the…