Is going tocollege worth it?

China Youth Daily published an article, "Has college changed anything" on Dec 14, describing a dilemma a migrant worker faced. His son, a college student, graduated but only to get jobs that pay much less than what he earns as a migrant worker. Talking to a reporter, the confused father doubted the usefulness of college education and said he had reservations about putting his future grandchildren in college.

As the debate over the worth of college education continues in China, similar doubts have arisen among Americans. A CNN Money report says an average American college student would have accumulated $25,000 in student loan in 2011. This will be no small burden when a student "grows up" and takes up a job.

In the United States, however, college tuition can vary widely from Ivy League universities that charge tens of thousands of dollars to state universities that cost much less to community colleges that are affordable. The debate on the "worth" of college, therefore, often centers on "elite colleges".