Is College Too Expensive?

With many college applications having been submitted before Thanksgiving, students now have their fingers crossed, hoping to be accepted into the university of their choice.  Numerous considerations are put into deciding where to look for a higher education and these days, price seems to be the largest determining factor.

The College Board has reviewed the price of every university in the nation and the average college cost for 2013-2014 school year was $30,094. This means that if someone attends the average four-year college for an undergraduate program, they will be $120,376 in debt once they receive their Bachelor’s degree.  If the student decides to go further and complete their graduate program to receive a Master’s degree, this price will only increase.  Note that this is only the average, state schools like those of the SUNY system tend to be cheaper for in-state students, and private schools tend to be very, very expensive.  It’s easy to say that such high prices may at least deter students from private schools, but cheaper schools still put students in thousands and thousands of dollars in debt, which can be quite intimidating when you pay for your own education.

“I wouldn’t say college is necessarily ‘overpriced’,” says guidance counselor, Mr. Yorio. “It depends on how you look at it.  Yes, private schools can get quite pricey and yes, SUNY schools tend to be cheaper.  There has been a general trend where private schools are getting more expensive and state schools only slightly more. I wouldn’t say cost will cause students to not want to go to college at all.  Most likely they’ll just look more into state schools if they’re not willing to pay for a private one. You’re still paying for a valuable education either way.”

College may seem extremely intimidating to most.  Along with expenses, students are on their own for the first time and have to learn to become adults and fend for themselves.  After talking to a few juniors and seniors, many agreed that the idea of college is pretty scary.  Most importantly, many students agreed that they do think college is very expensive, but will be worth it in the long run.

Experts have concluded that this trend of increasing prices that Mr. Yorio mentioned will more than likely continue into the future.  Hopefully as prices get more expensive, students will be able to find ways to pay for their education and obtain a college education that everyone deserves to have.