Campus

Associate's degree helps students get foot in door

By Michael H. Miller, Special to The Beacon

Welcome to A.A.

No, not Alcoholics Anonymous but to an Associate’s of Arts degree.

That is what students at Northeast can expect to earn in their two years here in Booneville.

But does it really pay off to earn an A.A. or would a high school diploma earn more money?

Statistics show that the more education a student receives, the better the opportunity for higher paying jobs, but even earning their associate’s of arts degree helps.

According to the Census Bureau, over an adult’s working life, high school graduates earn an average of $1.2 million; associate’s degree holders earn about $1.6 million; bachelor’s degree holders earn about $2.1 million.

That is a major jump from high school to associate’s and bachelor’s degrees.

Garnering an A.A. is not also for the monetary expectations; it also has side benefits that employers look for. A person who has attended community college and earned their A.A. makes for a more marketable candidate to perspective employers.

A two-year stint in a community college helps students become well-rounded workers with transferable personal skills and students do not have the excess specialization that some major four-year colleges and universities place on students.

Northeast even offers an Associate’s of Applied Science degree to its healthcare students and with the market projected to be among the top ten fastest-growing jobs in the next decade, holding an A.A.S. from NEMCC is a way to get a great start in a healthcare job.

Two jobs that require only and associate’s degree are physical therapist assistant and dental hygienist. The demand for both occupations is expected to rise more than 40 percent by 2014. In 2006, earning an A.A. cost almost $10,000 less than earning a bachelor’s degree at a four-year institution.

Average pay