Is college even worth it? Black graduates share whether they think their degree is paying off.
Michael Brown Jr.
Degree: Bachelor of Science in media and cinema studies
Institution: University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign)
Graduation year: 2012
“My degree is not as useful as it should be. I currently do not use my degree for my current profession. In one case, depending on what a person actually wants to do, they may not even need to pursue the traditional four-year university route. This is due to the help of social media and the internet in general. People can create their own businesses much easier.”
Rachel Hardy
Degree: Bachelor of Arts in telecommunications
Institution: Ball State University
Graduation year: 2014
“My degree has been moderately useful. Employers have been much more interested in my experience and gained skills than they have in my degree. In the television field, I’ve learned that knowledge, skills, experience and contacts sometimes trump the degree.”
Candice Henderson
Degree: Bachelor of Science in health science
Institution: Indiana State University
Graduation year: 2014
“My degree has been very useful in the acceleration of my career. It has played a major role in my knowledge and professionalism.”
Brandi Jennings
Degree: Bachelor of Arts in psychology
Institution: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
Graduation year: 2015
“My degree has allowed me to step into my career path. IUPUI’s psychology program doesn’t just teach you about formulas and theories; they teach you to open your way of thinking so you can look at situations from different perspectives in the real world.”
Chris Rice
Degree: Bachelor of Arts in communications
Institution: Indiana University (Bloomington)
Graduation year: 2007
“My degree hasn’t been useful, but growing up and finding myself through the years was well worth it. The education could’ve been exchanged for a trade and skill that didn’t require a degree. To sum it up, I’d trade my $100,000 of student loan debt back in for my degree any day.”
George Robinson Jr.
Degree: Bachelor of Science in psychology
Institution: Jackson State University
Graduation year: 2013
“My degree has been useful in allowing me to be marketable across many industries and platforms, but more importantly, the experience I have gained allowed me to learn more and communicate at all levels.”
