Why stay in school?

There are a multitude of reasons why one should stay in school.  Here are three practical reasons:

1. The U.S. Census (2012) reports that high school dropouts earn, on average, $20,241 a year. High school graduates average $30,627, and with a bachelor's degree (four years of college), the average is $56,665.  For purely economic reasons, it is beneficial to stay in school.


2. The amount of education a person has often affects his or her ability to get a job. Census statistics regarding unemployment put the national unemployment rate at 8.1 percent in August of 2012,  while joblessness among dropouts was 12 percent. For college graduates, it was just 4.1 percent. Having an education increases your chances of landing and keeping a job.


3. Incarceration rates are higher for high school dropouts.  Among dropouts of the age 16–24, the incarceration rate is 63 times higher than college graduates. Statistics suggest that having more education might keep more young people away from crimes that could land them in prison.

Education does not guarantee a better life, but the statistics cited above from the Census in 2012 suggest, generally speaking, that education, in many cases, offers people a better quality of life in tangible ways: employment, income, and freedom.