The Price of Education: College and Career - Less

The Price of Education: College and Career - Lesson 5

● Objective: List the benefits and costs of pursuing a

degree pathway and analyze if college degree
pathways are worth the “cost.”

● Essential Question: What are the benefits of

post-secondary education/training for my life?

CCSS: ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.2, ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.4

SEL IL State Standards:

●1C.4a: Identify strategies to make use of resources and overcome obstacles
to achieve goals

●3B.5a: Analyze how present decision-making affects college and career
choices

●ASCA Standards:
○1.4: Understand that postsecondary education and life-long learning
are necessary for long-term career success

Warm-Up – Degrees Defined

Objective: List the benefits and costs of pursuing a degree pathway and
analyze if college degree pathways are worth the “cost.”

Does anyone need any clarification about the Objective?

Instructions: “Let’s review the different post-secondary pathways,
focusing on degrees from associate’s to doctorate. Keep a potential
career in mind as we explore these pathways.”

Takeout: Degrees Defined.

Discussion: Review types of degrees (Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and
Doctorate). Ask students to name careers associated with each degree level
and create lists together.

Activity

Activity: Read aloud each degree type and discuss careers associated with
each.

●Examples:
○Associate’s Degree: Nurse, Dental Hygienist

○Bachelor’s: Teacher, Software Engineer

○Master’s, Professional, Doctorate: Social Worker, Lawyer, Scientist

Mini-Lesson – Do You Earn More When You Learn More?

Exploring Statistics: "Let’s look at some statistics to understand why
certain degree pathways may be desirable. Think about the financial,
social, and personal impacts."

Handout: Distribute Do You Earn More When You Learn More? and go
through the information together.

Video: Project and read through the chart on Education & Training Pays,
then discuss.

●

Discussion Prompt: “What can you infer from these statistics about
degree levels and their impact on income and employment?”

Analyzing Degree Pathways

Questions to Discuss:

●

"What are some of the biggest reasons to pursue an associate’s or
bachelor’s degree?"

●

"Are there any potential downsides to these degree pathways?"

●

"How might financial, social, or personal factors affect your decision?"

Reflection: Invite 3-5 pairs to share insights, emphasizing the correlation
between higher degrees and lower unemployment rates, higher earnings,
and potential lifestyle benefits.

Workshop – Cost-Benefit Analysis
Exploring Cost-Benefit Analysis: Explain the concept of weighing
costs and benefits when making a big decision like choosing a
degree pathway.

Handout: Distribute How Much is a College Degree Worth? for
students to work on individually or in pairs.

Activity: Students complete the graphic organizer by listing the
benefits and costs of pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in
the context of becoming a physical therapist.

Closing – Cost Benefit Conclusion

●Three-Corner Activity: Invite students to stand in one of three areas of the
room based on their conclusion from the cost-benefit analysis.
○Left: Pursue a physical therapy degree at NIU

○Right: Choose an alternative career path without a degree

○Front: Choose a different solution or pathway

●Discussion: Ask a spokesperson from each group to explain their reasoning
and reflect on the lesson’s insights.

●Wrap-Up: “Great job today discussing and analyzing the impact of degree
pathways! In our next session, we’ll compare degree pathways to
certification pathways.”

Helpful Resources and Links

Umoja Corporation Website:
www.umojacorporation.org for additional resources.

Cost-Benefit Analysis Chart: How Much is a College
Degree Worth? for exploring additional career data.