The mission of BYU Continuing Education is to “[inspire] lifelong learning to benefit the world.” However, in the past few years, the value of higher education has been brought into question, with many people asking, “Is college worth it?”
A 2024 study done by the Pew Research Center found that almost half (49%) of adults in the U.S. don’t think that a four-year college degree is as important to get a well-paying job as it was 20 years ago.(1) It’s no surprise, then, that in the most recent Census Bureau’s 2022 findings, the percentage of bachelor’s degree holders among adults in the U.S. is only 37.6%.(2)
Yet, despite the growing public skepticism, research continues to show that a college degree remains a valuable investment in the long run. A study done by Georgetown University concluded that, on average, a bachelor's degree is worth $2.8 million over a lifetime, with average annual earnings of about $70,000.(3) Adjusting for inflation, the average worth of a bachelor’s degree would be close to $4.1 million ($4,078,711.12) over a lifetime, with average annual earnings of about $102,000 ($101,967.78).(4) That same study also found that on average, “Bachelor’s degree holders earn 31 percent more than workers with an Associate’s degree and 74 percent more than those with just a high school diploma.”(5)
Recognizing the long-term value of a degree and the role it plays in expanding opportunities, since 1999, BYU has offered a Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) degree, which is designed to help former students complete their degrees. The program aims to use as much of the students’ previously earned credits to make their higher education journey more accessible with manageable steps. For many people, the difference between aspiring to do more and being able to do it is receiving an education, and a BGS degree from BYU opens that door.
The BSG program offers a wide range of programs including American Studies, Business, Education, English, Exercise and Wellness, Family Life, History, and Psychology. Students can take classes from anywhere around the world through BYU Independent Study and can also supplement them with courses from Evening Classes, the Salt Lake Center, and spring and summer terms.
“These are students that are coming back to school, and they may have been away for as little as a year or two, but we [also] have a student who's in his early 80s right now, and so it may have [been] decades since they were here,” said Matt Greene, Program Administrator for the
BYU BGS program. “We're teaching them skills that they can use outside of the classroom for the rest of their lives, not just to get through a class.”
As a result, a big part of the BYU BGS program is helping students pick up where they left off, which usually starts with meeting with an academic advisor to talk through what it will take for them to graduate, as well as their goals. From there, students are able to enroll in classes and have a year from that date to complete the coursework for credit. Flexibility is essential for many non-traditional students, a lot of whom have dependents at home—whether that be children, a spouse, or other family members—or are working either full- or part-time jobs, and in some cases, both.
The resilience these students exhibit is also demonstrative of their commitment to being lifelong learners and making the most of this opportunity. “These students are lifelong learners because many of them are further along in their life than what you normally see on campus,” said Greene. “[These students] learn how to stick it out and finish something that’s really hard.”
The success stories coming out of the BYU BGS program are truly inspiring. One graduate recently finished their doctorate and got hired as faculty at another university. Other students have gone on to law school and other graduate programs. For many, completing their BYU BGS degree is more than just finishing something they once started—it’s a powerful expression of their commitment to growth, learning, and the opportunities made possible through education.
For more information or to see if a Bachelor of General Studies from BYU may be right for you, visit bgs.byu.edu.
[1]https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2024/05/23/is-college-worth-it-2/
[2]https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/educational-attainment-data.html
[3] https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/collegepayoff-completed.pdf
[4] These numbers were found by taking Georgetown University’s findings and using the inflation calculator from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ website. (https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm)
[5] Same as Reference 3, https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/collegepayoff-completed.pdf