Recently I talked about why you shouldn’t get a doctorate. This time I want to talk about why you should pursue a degree higher than a bachelor's (hence “higher” education).

Often times, a degree like an MA or especially a Ph.D. show people that you know what you’re talking about. It indicates, obviously, that you’ve been in school for awhile. More than long enough to have done lots of research, have written lots of papers, and sat through lots of lectures. No matter how many people try to convince you it’s a waste of time if not many people in your field have it, I think you should do it anyways. If you want to learn a ton about what you love, don’t let anyone stop you.

A master's is useful almost anywhere. Even if the job only calls for a bachelor's, it’s very likely you won’t be turned away because of having an MA and not a BA. And if you want to be a teacher, then you’re required to have at least a master's, unless you go through an accreditation program, which would take about the same time as a master's. Only thing about that might be cost, but most universities offer lower tuition on graduate studies compared to undergrad.

A Ph.D is more shady compared to a master's. A doctorate is more specialized, and you have to know exactly why you want it before pursuing it. For example, you don’t need a doctorate to teach at a high school, they’re more for four-year university teaching. For example, research has been done showing that in 2020, 99% will not even require a master's degree, with 65% of those not requiring education beyond high school or some secondary training. To be a freelance writer you don’t even need a degree. To be an engineer at Apple, you do need a Ph.D. But these are two totally different fields. Unless you want to be a four-year professor, a top-level Apple engineer, or a psychiatrist/psychologist, a Ph.D. probably isn’t right for you.

Education is not and never will be a waste of money to me personally. I don’t want to waste my time with a degree I don’t need, but I do aspire to be very knowledgeable in my field. I highly suggest against getting a degree you don’t need. Not only could it be a waste of your money, but it could be a waste of your time. As noted, in 2020, you won't even require above a bachelor's for 99% of the jobs that will be available. That 1% includes professors, engineers for tech firms, and the psych field. Happy learning!