WHY GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE?

We are at-sea on the Norwegian Encore, and nothing much is happening on the ship worthy of mentioning.  So I will shift to something I have on my list of what to post if there is nothing particularly newsworthy. 

I've been a faculty member of the University of Hawaii for over 50 years.  If my life on campus is a good indicator, I could say that getting the equivalent of a PhD and making a living as a professor or researcher at any college is as good as it can get.  Well, becoming a billionaire should be better, but I'm not complaining.

Yet, we are all made differently with unique talents, or lack of them.  Some will get better educated through family pressure and finances.  Others will not have those opportunities.  Then, there or those who will be driven by sheer will and resolution.  Many have interests toward art, avocation, trade and lifestyles that don't require a college degree.

To begin, at least get a high school degree, for those that don't will only earn an average of 62% that of others.  This means around $1000/month.  Your unemployment rate will be 6.5%.  Plus there is that matter of difficulty getting a job or any social respect.  A high school graduate will at least get 77% of the average, and an unemployment rate of 4.6%.  

• Some college experience brings you up to 90%.  
• With an associate degree, the Department of Labor says this will be around $43,500/ year and unemployment rate of 3.4%.  Two good reason for even a mid-level degree. 
• A bachelor's degree shoots you up to 131%, with a 2.5% unemployment rate.   
• A higher degree raises you to 138%.  
• A Master's Degree will provide you with $72,852/year and unemployment rate of 2.2%.  
• A doctorate will provide an annual income of $90,936/year and unemployment rate of 1.5%.  
• A professional degree, such as a Juris Doctor or Doctor of Medicine, raises you to $95,472.

According to Wikipedia, for the 2022/3 year, the largest American universities are.

• #1  Arizona State University, 79,232.  But as that graphic shows, most students doesn't mean best university.
• #2  Texas A&M University, 74,869.
• #3  Rutgers  University, 68,942.
• #4  University of Central Florida, 68,442.
• #5 to #8:  Florida, Ohio State, Illinois and Florida International University.
• So Florida has three of the top 8 largest universities.

• 
  What about the World?  This will surprise you.
• #1  Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, India,  7,140,000.
• #2  National University, Bangladesh, Gazipur, 2,097,182.
• #3  Andolu University, Eskisehir, Turkey, 1,974,343.
• #4  California Community Colleges, 1,800,000.
• At #16 and #17 are the University Systems of Ohio and California, with 478,000 and 457,000, respectively.
• 254 million are currently enrolled in a university or equivalent, 3% the world population.

If you have a college degree, you are among the 6.7% of people in this world.  More than that, all studies show you have more than just more money:  opportunity, respect and a higher path to enjoy life.

In the U.S., about 2% of the adult population holds a PhD or equivalent.  More than half are women.

• This percentage is lower in the world.  
• China has less than 0.5% PhDs.
• Slovenia has 5% PhDs, Switzerland has 3% and Germany 1.4%.

The Honolulu Star Advertiser headlined that enrollment at UH's 10 campuses surpasses 50,000.  Nothing particularly new.  Last occurred in 2018.  The head count this semester is 50,418.  The main Manoa Campus has 20,208 students.

I remember way back in 1978 when the Manoa Campus had around 20,000 students.  

• We were beginning a cooperative solar program with Central Florida University, then known as the Florida Institute of Technology.  Their total enrollment was 11,000.

• 
  By 1992, the name had changed to Central Florida University, and they had caught up with the University of Hawaii in enrollment, with both around 20,000.
• Today at UCF?  61,456 undergraduates and over 10,000 graduate students, over 71,000 students.
• Orlando metro in 1978 had a population 516,00.
• Today, 2.7 million, or five times larger population.
• 
  Hawaii Manoa today?  20,208 students.  Nothing has changed.
• We had a population of 0.93 million in 1978.  Today it is 1.4 million.  Part of the reason why the University of Hawaii has not grown is that we have added community colleges throughout the state and other smaller colleges have since then opened.

Tomorrow we arrive in La Coruna, Spain.

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