According to statistics reported by US News, the average unemployment rate for someone with a BA degree or higher is only 4.4%, while the unemployment rate for somebody without a degree is 9.6%. The number of jobs requiring a college degree has risen to ¾ of all jobs since the 1970’s, and these jobs pay better than the jobs that do not require a degree. Looking at these statistics, it is clear that receiving a college degree is very important to get a job. Along with better job opportunities, people with a college degree tend to get paid more too. On average, a person with a bachelor’s degree earns about $30,000 more per year than someone with just a high school degree. Over a lifetime, a person with a bachelor’s degree will earn over $500,000 more than a person with just a high school degree. Also, people who have a degree will receive higher raises over the course of their job. Job opportunities and better pay are two great advantages of having a degree, but most important of all is how having a degree affects people’s