Annotated Bibliography on the Benefits of Education

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Annotated Bibliography
Borland, Jeff, et al. Returns to investment in higher education. Vol. 1. University of Melbourne, 2000.
In this study, Borland et al. (2000) appear to second the notion that higher education investment could lead to substantial returns. One of the points that researchers put across is that full-time employed graduates receive a salary that is on average 65% more than individuals who did not go to school. The researchers indicate that the net monetary benefit amounts to $90,000 in a lifetime for graduates to make things clearer. While comparing the return rate, the researchers also discovered that a university graduate happens to acquire a private return of about 10 to 15 percent. This figure is way above those who never graduated, thus affirming that this is a good investment.
Aside from the above, the researchers also considered education quality, noting that it is also another major aspect to consider while assessing investment in higher education. The conclusion regarding the quality of education was that the higher the quality of education, the greater the productivity of a graduate. The researchers note that investment should thus be geared towards enhancing the quality of education students receive. The other aspect that the researchers' touch involves investment in university research which they believe enhances innovation. The researchers were making here that by investing in university research, a country is indirectly contributing to its development.
Often, while approaching this discussion, few researchers take the time to deeply and exhaustively assess the topic from different angles. However, in this study, the researchers assess various aspects of the topic while building a higher education investment case. In assessing these aspects, the study sheds light on the topic at hand while revealing the different ways to review or evaluate it.
Gillen, A., Selingo, J., & Zatynski. M. "Degrees of value: Evaluating the return on the college investment." Education Sector at American Institute for Research. Washington, DC. Retrieved from educationpolicy.air.org/publications/degreesvalue-evaluating-return-college-investment (2013).
The researchers make a bold statement noting that the American economy's transformation happened because of a knowledge-based workforce. While it is impossible to refute the above point, the article introduces a few factors or issues that help shed light on the topic at hand.
First, the article indicates that while assessing the value of higher education superficially, one can conclude that the investment is indeed worth the sweat. The researchers admit that indeed college graduates earn more and are unlikely to be unemployed in the long-run. The comparison here was against individuals with high school diplomas.
However, questions linger over attending certain colleges, especially considering that families and graduates are usually left with huge debts. The researchers are quick to point out that people are not questioning the value of education but simply the value of attending some of the most exciting universities and learning institutions in the country. The researchers delve into debt and ...