Does Going to College Still Matter?
Some surprising statistics and an interview with the dean of Christian higher education
How about that for a provocative title? It’s the start of a new semester, and I’m thinking about all things college. First, because I have a daughter starting her second year of college—the very fine Carson Newman University in the beautiful mountains of East Tennesee—and I’m about to begin classes at Texas Baptist College and Southwestern Seminary, the fantastic institution where I am privileged to teach. Oh and this summer I took my eleventh-grade son on a tour of a few campuses.
Increasingly I’m hearing from a lot of folks some skepticism about the need to acquire a four year degree. The questions are largely driven by the rising costs. Many wonder if it’s worth it. And they are driven by some of the left-wing ideology they see displayed at some of our once-elite institutions.
If you’ve gathered already that I’m pro-college, you’d be right. But why? Well, for starters, I don’t think every young person should attend four years. We do need folks entering the important and meaningful blue-collar trades—plumbers, welders, electricians, etc—however, I do think every young person should have a plan for both their long-term career and their spiritual formation.
Here are some statistics that will surprise you:
One recent study shows:
College graduates are half as likely to be unemployed as their peers whose highest degree is a high school diploma.
Typical earnings for bachelor’s degree holders 86 percent higher than those whose highest degree is a high school diploma.
87% of bachelor’s degree holders report financial wellbeing, 20 percentage points higher than groups with any other level of education.
Median lifetime earnings are $1.2 million higher for bachelor’s degree holders[1].
More surprising stats:
In their book, The Great DeChurching, authors Jim Davis, Michael Graham, and Ryan Burge found that those with college degrees were more likely to attend church regularly while those who have stopped going to church are predominantly those with only a high-school diploma.[1] Burge, a sociologist who studies religion, says, “The people who are the most likely to go to church this Sunday are people with a postgraduate degree. People who are least likely are those without a high school diploma.[2]”
One more: it may also surprise that you the most likely cohort to get married and stay married are . . . you guessed it . . . college graduates, according to Pew Research.[1]
So, put all of this together and you can see that attending a good institution for four years without accumulating a massive amount of debt can be incredibly formative for young people. Those two clarifiers are important.
I often tell my students and my own children that school, whether high school or college, is about more than acquiring a credential. Yes, the credential matters on your resume and for job. However, a student is more than a future worker bot, he or she is more than where they will draw a check. They are future husbands and fathers, wives and mothers, future community and church leaders. A good college experience can shape and form the whole person, opening them up to a comprehensive body of knowledge that will last a lifetime and build in them a lifetime of curiosity about God’s world.
This is why I’m especially bullish on Christian higher education, which is, I believe, recovering the classic mission of education while also preparing young people for meaningful work and influence in the 21st century. I’m writing more about this in my forthcoming book on patriotism and renewing the American experiment. That comes out in the fall of 2025.
Speaking of education, however, I want you to listen to this interview I did on my podcast with the man I consider the dean or the GOAT of Christian higher education, David Dockery. I am somewhat biased, given that he leads the institution for which I work. But he’s also the president of the International Alliance of Christian Educators, was president of several institutions, including Union University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. And he’s written on this topic extensively. Two books: Christian Higher Education and Renewing Minds.
Anyway, give it a listen, either below via Spotify or wherever you download your podcasts:
[1] Wendy Wang, “The Link between a College Education and a Lasting Marriage,” Pew Research Center (blog), December 4, 2015, https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2015/12/04/education-and-marriage/.
[1] Jim Davis, Michael Graham, and Ryan P. Burge, The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? (Zondervan, 2023), 111.
[2] Jessica Lea, “Will Your Teens Lose Their Faith If They Go to College? Ryan Burge on What The Data Shows,” ChurchLeaders (blog), November 17, 2023, https://churchleaders.com/news/462908-teens-lose-faith-college-ryan-burge-shows.html.
[1] “How Does a College Degree Improve Graduates’ Employment and Earnings Potential?,” APLU, accessed August 11, 2024, https://www.aplu.org/our-work/4-policy-and-advocacy/publicuvalues/employment-earnings/.