The High School Drop-Out Epidemic vs Benefits of College Education

Dropping out of high school can make it harder to find a job, to achieve your dreams or to just get by. Currently, one student out of four is dropping out before they graduate from college. In the United States, this adds up to more than a million students each year. The effects will follow these students throughout their lives. The unemployment rate is usually higher for high school dropouts than it is for people who have graduated from high school or college. High school dropouts will face challenges when it comes to providing the basic necessities for their families. It is important to take steps to reduce the drop out rate throughout the United States.

According to high school drop out statistics, people who drop out of high school can expect to earn only about $20,000 a year, which is $10,000 less than high school graduates. One of the most upsetting high school drop out facts is that the high school dropouts have a 63% higher chance of ending up in jail. Another one of the effects of dropping out of high school is that the poverty rate is twice as high as compared to college graduates. Often high school dropouts have a harder time finding jobs with good benefits such as medical insurance or retirement plans.

There are many benefits of college education. It opens more job opportunities in a wide variety of fields. The earnings for college graduates average out to be $36,000 more per year. That amount can add up significantly over the years. In addition to the increased earnings for college graduates, people who graduate from college are less likely to need government assistance. Another one of the benefits of college education is that it can stop the poverty cycle. If you graduate from college, you children are more likely to attend college. It is one of the best ways to fight the dropout cycle. The pay increase for each degree you achieve, and you can increase your earning power by continuing on after receiving your bachelor’s degree. The benefits of a college education in finding a job and increasing your salary should make attending college a priority.

With the discouraging high school drop out statistics, it is important that the country works together to fight the epidemic. There are schools called dropout factories where the graduation rate is lower than sixty percent. Special programs can be implemented in these schools with mentors and solutions to help the students at these schools find a stable environment that will allow them to continue to attend school and move on to college. The high school drop out facts can be very discouraging, but helping even one person break the cycle can help his entire family move onto better things. The effects of dropping out of high school will last for the rest of his life, and finding ways to help the students to graduate can make a big difference.

Each person can make a difference in the drop out rate, whether or not you are in the field of education. One way is to volunteer as a mentor for high school students in your community. People can support the high school students they come in contact with through work or extended family and encourage them to stay in school. The high school drop out epidemic can be fixed, but it will take more than just looking at the system. Often many problems lead up to a student’s choice to drop out. While improving the education system can help, people will need to look at solutions that can provide stability to each student that is at risk of dropping out of school.

Related Articles:

• High School Dropout Prevention
• Take On High School Dropout Crisis
• A High School Dropout’s Midlife Crisis
• Help for the High School Dropout Rate
• Kids Count: Reducing the High School Dropout Rate
• The Dropout Dilemma
• Top 5 Reasons to Stay in School
• California Dropout Research Project
• The Significance of the Dropout Crisis
• Fast Facts: Dropout Rates
• National Dropout Rates
• Kids of Honor Facts: Dropping Out
• Background on High School Dropouts
• The Future of Children
• Education Benefits
• Higher Education Benefits
• Women See Value and Benefits of Education; Men Lag on Both Fronts, Survey Finds
• Developing Early Warning Systems to Prevent Potential High School Dropouts
• Improving High School Through Rigor, Relevance and Relationships
• Dropout Prevention
• America’s Promise Alliance
• Colin Powell’s Group Releases New Study on High School Graduation Crisis
• Colin Powell Address High School Graduation Crisis
• High School Dropout Rates
• Reengaging High School Dropouts