Should everyone go to college? "In my experience," wrote McArdle (2010) "the European system [under which college is free] produces, even more than the American one, large numbers of students who dawdle along towards a degree because being in school is very cheap, and preferable to working." In our modern culture, we have been led to believe that a college education is essential for career and financial success. While it is true that, on average, college graduates earn more over their lifetimes than individuals with high school diplomas only, there are careers in the trades that pay well -- auto mechanics, plumbing, and construction, to name just three. There are people who have become millionaires as entrepreneurs, putting good ideas and hard work together to make a great deal of money. Not everyone is a scholar. There are different types of intelligence and some of those types are not suited to achievement in the classroom. A college education is not necessarily the best path for everyone. Free college education might fill classrooms with too...

One's stance on the issue is likely a reflection of personal circumstances. A college education can, in some cases, cost more than a home, traditionally considered the biggest purchase one would make in life. If costs continue to escalate as they have, college will be available only to the very wealthy and perhaps to the very poor who receive generous financial aid packages. The middle class may be left out of the equation.
The high cost of college is, and will continue to be, a huge problem in the United States. Our nation's policymakers should look carefully at possible solutions that could help students and their families with this financial burden.

Reference

McArdle, Megan. "The High Cost of College. The Atlantic 9/23/10. Web. 14 Feb. 2011.