Students are always told that education is the most important thing and that college is the best choice after high school.

College is stressed even more in high school. By the time students reach their senior year, it will feel like they are obligated to go to college.

In the senior project, a requirement for all graduating seniors is to choose at least three colleges to research and write about.

“We wanted to help students make their career choice, so finding the right college and education was very important,” Ms. Kari Shaw, English teacher, said. “We wanted students to understand how much they’re going to pay.”

But many students today ask themselves if going to college is worth it?

“It’s important to get a higher education because there are few good careers that will hire you without a degree,” said Mrs. Colleen Grathoff, career development facilitator.

Even though college is important and it may establish a better career opportunity, it may not be the best thing for everyone, according to guidance counselor Mrs. Karen June.

“Just getting a college degree is not going to guarantee that you are going to get a great job,” June said. “What we would recommend for all students is to find out what your interests are before paying a lot of money for something you don’t want to do.”

Federal student loans allow students to invest in their own future.

Twenty million Americans attend college each year. Out of that 20 million, close to 12 million – or 60 percent use student loans.

The typical college student borrows $23,000 in loans for college.

Not all students are successful in finding jobs with their college degree. Because of this, American students have a total of $1 trillion in student loan debt.

Due to a lack of jobs within the field they chose, some students end up going back to college, doubling their debt for a better job opportunity.

June said that students should know what they are getting themselves into before choosing to go to college because if they do not, it will cost them more later on in life.

“It is always important to do your research on the career you are studying,” June said. “If I were a high school student, I would spend time with Mrs. Grathoff on the EDP (Educational Development Plan) if I didn’t know what I was going to do because there are many different colleges and careers you can research.”