If you’re reading this, odds are you are in college or have graduated from college. So, why did we come here? There was a time when college was not necessary for success in the “real-world”, but why isn’t that time now? What could have possibly happened that turned college from a privilege to a necessity?

Today, Americans will do just about whatever it takes to get themselves a college degree. 44.2 million Americans have student loan debts, and when all of their debts are summed together, it comes in at a whopping $1.48 trillion, almost double the amount of credit card debt in the United States. Why are we doing this to ourselves? As the adage goes, you’ve got to spend money to make money, right? But is this what the saying really meant?

Well, according to researchers at Georgetown University, by 2020, over 65% of job openings will require some type of college degree in order to qualify for the position. Essentially a majority of jobs call for a degree. So, in short, yes. We need that fancy paper with our names and some signatures on it in order to get that money.

Nope. It’s about the money.

It’s no coincidence that in a world which continues to become more advanced, it is becoming more of a necessity to obtain higher levels of education to be considered for a majority of jobs in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “the proportion of the
population aged 25 and older with 4 or more years of college grew 9.5 times, from 2.7 percent to 25.6 percent” from 1910 to 2010, and the evidence shows that that number continues to rise significantly.

It’s easy to say that as people get smarter, more people need to go to college to keep up with the rest of the world, but it’s actually far more complicated than that. Many historical events have played into rises in college enrollments, some far more obvious than others.

Taking a look back, the baby boomers generation played a large role in increasing the college attendance rates. Especially during times of economic prosperity, it made sense to go to college if you could afford it. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, college enrollments rose from 3.64 million to 8 million over the course of fall 1959 to fall 1969.

Also, the GI Bill of 1944 (which has been rewritten several times, the latest revision was in 2017) has continually increased college enrollment with each revision. Each revision of the GI Bill has increased enrollment by approximately 4%.

Furthermore, during the Korean War (1950-1953), students in the top half of their class were granted an exemption from the draft. This led to people enrolling in college with hopes of avoiding the draft. This happened again during the Vietnam War.

Whatever everyone’s intentions for attending college were, it has resulted in a world where a college degree is far more necessary, and less valuable, than the past. Finally, there has been a cultural shift in America that leans towards “you must go to college”. The fact of the matter is that simply because that stigma exists, young adults will feel the pressure to attend college, no matter the cost. The effects of forcing your way to a college degree has caused widespread debt among Americans. And, what might even be the scariest statistic yet, is that only 27% of college graduates hold a job related to their major (Washington Post).

This then demands that we ask the question, what is it all for?