No Degree Required

Students with college degrees earn more money per year than those without. Or do they?

Careerbuilder.com listed the top-10 highest-paid positions without a college degree. The lowest salary listed (Nuclear Power Reactor Operator) paid more than the highest salary for recent college graduates (Ship Engineer). Some of the jobs listed required vocational training or an associate's degree, and all had on-the-job training.

Vaden Thurgood, a Weber State University junior majoring in communications, said he wasn't surprised at the findings, but still thought it was worth it for him to go to school.

"What I want to do, what I think I would love to do," he said, "isn't one of those other options."

Thurgood said he felt that it is more important to enjoy his job than earn a big paycheck.

"I think I would be better off if I truly enjoyed what I was doing," he said, "as opposed to just doing it for the money."

However, he said that if people really enjoyed any sort of job, school might not be the answer for them.

Dianne Holbrook, a former college student, took the other route. After five years of college, she dropped out.

"I looked around me and realized that people around me that I worked with had degrees," she said, "and they were making the same amount that I was."

Holbrook worked as a Customer Service Rep for the United Postal Service. Her decision to quit school was also affected by mounting student loans and a difficult school schedule.

"When you weigh-in the cost of student loans with the pay difference without a degree, it might be a better choice not to go to school," Holbrook said.

The 10 highest-paid jobs available in the Utah market that require a degree all fell below the mark of jobs students can get without a degree. But other benefits outweigh the initial salary.

Greg Nielsen, assistant director and counselor at WSU's Career Services Center, said a college degree was the better option. Charts and compiled data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the unemployment rate is lower for college graduates and the pay is one-third higher. Also, layoffs typically occur to the employee with the lowest qualifications first.

"A lot of times, the better advancements and opportunities will go to people that have degrees," Nielsen said. "Students want to look at things long-term. Students can go out and get a well-paying job without a degree, but they have to look at how much they will be making in fifteen or twenty years, not just now."

He added that a college degree opens up a whole other sector of jobs that require job candidates to have a degree.

Statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau show that a person with a college degree will make almost double the income in their lifetime, hitting an average of $2.1 million, while someone with only a high school diploma averages $1.2 million.

The Career Services Center provided information for students on specific degrees and the types of jobs available once they graduate. If students are unsure of their career plans, they can also meet with an adviser to get help and direction.

Robert Lutz, a 41-year-old WSU freshman, said he found that his career choice wasn't giving him the income he wanted, and so he started college last year.

"I want a better job and I've almost topped-out," he said, "but I want to change my vocation."

Lutz works as a superintendent for a small sub-contracting company, but said he wants to move into a better position.

"There are so many opportunities with the degree in my field that, right now, the sky's the limit," Lutz said.

He is majoring in construction management, and estimated that he would double his yearly income once he completes his degree.