Pennsylvania State University



Kate CioffiProfessor Lori BedellCAS 137H, Section 0054 November 2015The Normalization of College EducationMillennials may find it difficult to believe that just a generation ago, going to college was largely a voluntary decision that required young adults to deeply consider what career path they wished to follow. This freedom of choice is in stark contrast to the pressure young adults feel today to pursue a university level education. Nowadays, higher education is simply seen as necessary for success in the job market. In fact, 87.9 percent of incoming college freshman in 2012 claimed “to be able to get a better job” was a key factor in why they chose to go to college, as opposed to 67.8 percent of students reporting the same in 1976 (Wyer). Large-scale shifts in the job market, accompanied by technological advances, have pushed the limits of employable skills to include those that are learned in college. Young people must adapt to these changing conditions, accounting for the large increase in college enrollment from the 1970s until today (“College Enrollment”). The emerging mentality that everyone should attend university is a natural result of the dynamic social and economic climates of twentieth and twenty-first century America. This progression, however, is also producing undesirable effects on America’s youth and the current job market, making many reconsider our collective dependence on college education. With the dawn of the twentieth century came a rapid surge in mechanical advances, which would come to greatly affect the ways Americans lived and worked. About 38 percent of workers were employed on farms at the start of the century (Fisk), which would come to drastically decrease as the century progressed and the types of jobs needed greatly shifted. One key element to the changing economy was with Henry Ford’s induction of the moving assembly line in 1913, allowing manufacturing to become a driving financial force (Volti). This manufacturing boom was, of course, great news for working-age Americans, as companies needed many employees to perform “minutely planned” tasks (Volti). These factories provided plentiful numbers of well-paying jobs that required little skills beyond basic training, presumably making attending college a low priority for most Americans. As the United States became involved in World War II in the 1940s, “manufacturing employment rose dramatically” in order to mass produce much-needed weaponry (Short), contributing heavily to the expanding economy. This fruitful time in American economic history provoked the proliferation of the middle class (Morley), which would come to greatly affect the spending and living habits of average citizens. Many Americans during this period now had more disposable income, allowing them to soon be, as Professor Douglas Massey notes, “uniquely capable of financing higher education” for their children (Massey). This lent to a large-scale movement toward higher education at a time when around ten percent of adults had graduated college (Massey). Getting a degree from a university was now more financially attainable not only for middle-class America, but also for another large sector—war veterans.The G.I. bill was passed in 1944 to provide assistance to returning war veterans. It included many benefits for young soldiers, such as helping them mortgage their homes and providing unemployment compensation (“G.I. Bill”). Another key component of the bill was that it greatly aided in covering the cost of trade school and college, allowing nearly 10 million veterans to pursue higher education between its induction and its termination in 1956 after the Korean War (“G.I. Bill”). The act was not without controversies, as the US Department of Veteran Affairs reminds that many “questioned the concept of sending battle-hardened Veterans to colleges and universities, a privilege then reserved for the rich.” (“History and Training”). In fact, due to the implementation of the bill, veterans were 2.3 times more likely than nonveterans to attend college in 1960 (Massey). Despite its contention, the G.I. bill was clearly a factor in the increasing accessibility of college education of America, shifting the notion of university as being solely for intellectuals to having a purpose for even the most industrious of Americans.Like any movement, the manufacturing boom of mid-century America did not last. Domestic production of goods reached its peak in the 1970s, and then declined as technological advances allowed our society to move towards “the production of knowledge and the control of information” (Massey). Higher education, therefore, became more important than ever as employers moved away from wanting as many trainable workers as possible to needing a smaller, more knowledgeable staff. “Big science” was on the rise as the government invested more time and energy into research during and after the Cold War (Kneeland), perhaps accounting for why students began feeling such a necessity to pursue higher education. The proportion of students enrolled in college in 1973 was 24 percent, and has only steadily been rising since then (“College Enrollment”), as skilled jobs in the fields of medicine, education, and the like have become increasingly more prevalent in the workforce (Volti). Yet, the shift in public opinion on higher education had yet to reach its peak, as college was still not seen as a prerequisite for most jobs. Between the Baby Boomer generation and the Millennials, a notable shift occurred in the job market. Adults in the 1970s with only a high school diploma maintained more success in the work force than modern young adults with the same level of education. In 1979, those with at least a bachelor’s degree earned on average about $41,989 (adjusted for inflation), while high school graduates earned $32,299, a difference of approximately $10,000 (“The Rising Cost”). The disparity between these two groups widened sharply by 2013 as the difference between earnings rose to around $17,500, as shown in Figure 1 (“The Rising Cost”). This variation in wages can be largely attributed to the further specialization of jobs as time progressed—the service industry, which includes almost all fields that are not manufacturing, rose to account for 78 percent of all workers by 1999 (Fisk) and has only been increasing since then. The latter end of the twentieth century is when America’s shift in public opinion on higher education truly emerged as service jobs became the norm in the workforce. Since careers in these growing fields, like Information Technology, require more specialized communication and analytical skills, young adults have been pressured to adjust to these needs by pursuing higher education.Figure 1, Pew Research Center (“The Rising Cost”)The refined skills that are taught in universities are indeed seen as beneficial by employers today, which is encouraging for recent college graduates. In fact, about 27 percent of employers have increased the minimum standard of education for potential worker in the past five years, as they feel as though they are “getting a better return on investment from their college educated employees”, according to studies (Git). This spells bad news for anyone with less than a bachelor’s degree, as a high school diploma no longer earns the jobs it used to a generation ago. The desire to hire only highly educated candidates for these positions that do not necessarily necessitate such qualifications, called “upcredentialing” by CEO and analyst Matt Sigelman, has created troubling barriers in the job market (Bidwell). The prospect of bettering one’s economic situation is becoming less attainable for young adults as “jobs that were once a steppingstone to the middle class” are now only available to those already in the middle class—those who can afford attending college (Bidwell). Even though the transforming job market is favoring individuals with higher education, this does not mean that finding a job is a simple task for college graduates. Obtaining a degree, now seen as almost compulsory amongst Millennials seeking service positions, does not guarantee success. There is intense competition for a fixed number of skilled jobs amongst Americans and their foreign counterparts, providing even greater pressure on youth to excel. Both India and China are generating more English-speaking college graduates every year than the United States, who could potentially find work in America as the country becomes more globalized (Morley). As writer Patrick O’Neil contends, this globalization “has brought extreme levels of competition across borders and introduced new volatility in the employment situation” (O’Neill). Domestically, The unpredictability of the work force does not go unnoticed by Millennials; according to a study conducted by Rutgers University, about 50 percent of young adults feel as though they are not as ready for entering the “world of work” than the previous generation (Stone) despite the fact that they have received superior education. The increasing scope of higher education in the lives of young people is evident even during the most adverse conditions. In 2009, in the midst of the Great Recession, 70 percent of high school graduates enrolled in college, the greatest proportion to date (Fry, “Minorities”). This statistic bears testimony to the undeniable lure of college for Millennials—even as tuition rose and grant and scholarship funds dwindled as a result of America’s declining economy, more young adults were flooding into our nation’s universities (Clark). The prospect of employment became even bleaker for young Americans, especially those without bachelor’s degrees. This was a compelling force for many to “gain additional skills and make themselves more marketable,” Pew Research Center reports, explaining the rise in college attendance (Fry, “More Millennials”). As vice president of the United States Student Association Lindsay McCluskey remarks, “It’s a grim situation, but what choice do young people have?” (Clark). For young adults, higher education is becoming likened with survival in the harshness of the job market.The Great Recession, and other economic forces that fostered an unprecedented growth in national college enrollment, prompted unforeseen effects on the Millennial generation. Young adults are seen as less independent than generations before, despite their status of being the “highest-education generation in American history” (Thompson). 80 percent of young adults live with their parents again right after graduation, according to a 2009 study by CCAP (Path). Even after improvements in the economy and job market, this trend persists, as increasing tuitions and magnitude of student loans make saving money the priority for most recent college graduates. Moving in with one’s parents is usually the most economical option. A Pew Research study reveals that although employment rates of college-educated young adults increased after the Great Recession, the number of Millennials heading their own household actually decreased slightly despite the growth in that demographic (Fry, “More Millennials”). Parents of these students have largely accepted the shift in their children’s financial independence—80 percent of parents in 1980 thought their children should not be dependent on them by age 22, while now only 67 percent of parents feel the same (“Young, Underemployed”). The harsh, but certainly evident, reality of obtaining a college degree means that many young adults must make extreme sacrifices in their personal lives in order to make this decision profitable. There remain some less foreseen effects to America’s ever-changing attitudes on higher education. As alluded to earlier, there is this undeniable phenomenon of American Millennials reaching benchmarks in adult life much later than previous generations. This widespread occurrence is largely in part to the worsened economic situation of young adults, marred by college debt and a competitive job market in the wakes of the recession (Thompson). The unprecedented level of education attained by this generation comes at the cost of “delay[ing] plans for their own financial independence, by going to school” (Thompson). In addition to more young adults living with their parents, Pew Research Center also reports that about 20 percent of young adults claim they have “postponed having a baby because of the bad economy”, as well as postponed marriage (“Young, Underemployed”). The median age of first marriage in 1970 was around 22 years old for women and 24 years old for men, which rose to roughly 27 for women and 28 for men in the year 2010 (Elliott), likely due largely to the more stable nature of the economy in the1970. Evidently, the increasing proportion of college attendance in America is affecting more than the economy, but reaching the personal lives and futures of this generation, as well. The circumstances of the past century were beyond the control of those who were affected—World War II, the shift in American technology, globalization—these were all forces that young people could not determine. Their only option, therefore, has been to adapt in the most fitting way possible in order to survive. In many cases, this means to attend college, which is happening at a rate not seen before in history. Unlike their parents, Millennials see this as the only way to have a chance at being successful, and statistics show they are not wrong in thinking so. There is an increasing disparity not only between wages of college graduates and other employees, but also in the types of jobs that are available to them. Millennials are thus reaching adulthood later due to their latent financial independence—which will undeniably have lasting effects on American society. The rise in college education, though, has been a long time in the making. This phenomenon does not displays signs of declining in the future, at least not to the levels that were prevalent amongst young adults in prior generations. Maybe we are just now seeing the effects of its culmination, but better, less uncertain times may just be on the horizon for young Americans as the effects of the Great Recession wane and the nation moves back toward economic stability. Works CitedBidwell, Allie. "How 'Upcredentialing' May Close the Middle-Class Path." US News. U.S. News & World Report, 9 Sept. 2014. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. Clark, Kim. "The Great Recession's Toll on Higher Education." U.S. News. 10 Sept. 2010. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. "College Enrollment Hits All-Time High, Fueled by Community College Surge." Pew Research Centers Social Demographic Trends Project RSS. 29 Oct. 2009. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. Elliott, Diana B., Kristy Krivickas, and Matthew W. Brault. "Historical Marriage Trends from 1890-2010: A Focus on Race Differences." Census. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. Fisk, Donald. "American Labor in the 20th Century." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 30 Jan. 2003. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. Fry, Richard. "Minorities and the Recession-Era College Enrollment Boom." Pew Research Centers Social Demographic Trends Project RSS. 16 June 2010. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. Fry, Richard. "More Millennials Living With Family Despite Improved Job Market." Pew Research Centers Social Demographic Trends Project RSS. 29 July 2015. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. "G.I. Bill." . A&E Television Networks. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. Git, Aliah. "High School Diploma Not Enough? More Companies Want College Grads." CBS News. CBS Interactive, 20 Mar. 2014. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. "History and Training." U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. Kneeland, Timothy W. "Science: An Overview." Encyclopedia of American Studies. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. Massey, Douglas S. "AAU Centennial Meeting." 17 Apr. 2000. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. Morley, Robert. "The Death of American Manufacturing." The Trumpet. 1 Feb. 2006. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. O'Neill, Patrick M. "Work and Workers." Encyclopedia of American Studies. Johns Hopkins University Press. Web. 3 Nov. 2015.Path, Bill R. "The Higher Education Paradigm Shift." The Huffington Post. 2 May 2014. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. "The Rising Cost of Not Going to College." Pew Research Centers Social Demographic Trends Project RSS. 11 Feb. 2014. Web. 3 Nov. 2015.Short, Doug. "Charting The Incredible Shift From Manufacturing To Services In America." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 5 Sept. 2011. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. Stone, Charley, Carl Van Horn, and Cliff Zukin. "Chasing the American Dream: Recent College Graduates and the Great Recession." 1 May 2012. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. Thompson, Derek. "Adulthood, Delayed: What Has the Recession Done to Millennials?" The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 14 Feb. 2012. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. Volti, Rudi. "Technology in American Business." Encyclopedia of American Studies. Johns Hopkins University Press. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. Wyer, Kathy. "Survey: More Freshmen than Ever Say They Go to College to Get Better Jobs, Make More Money." Higher Education Research Institute. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. "Young, Underemployed and Optimistic." Pew Research Centers Social Demographic Trends Project RSS. 9 Feb. 2012. Web. 3 Nov. 2015. ................
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