Are Millennials Paying More Attention to Education?

In the year 1960, the United States Department of Education conducted a study, which concluded that over 27% of students aged 16-24 dropped out of high school.  Since that time, this number has steadily declined to less then 7% in the year 2010. This bears the question if the reason behind this drastic change in dropout rates is caused by the substantial change in values between “Generation X” and the “Millennial Generation”? This phenomenon can partially be explained by the evolution in values from one generation to the other, but it also has much to do with the current economic landscape in our modern world.

Generation X and Y 

Picture of my uncle Andy (Left), my dad (Middle), 

and my uncle Scott (Right) when they were young kids

            In the 1960’s, many placed little emphasis on the importance of school. This can be attributable to the way of life during the time and the specific mindset that people demonstrated. Many did not care much about money and instead chose to live freely while demonstrating an anti-establishment state of mind. This phenomenon can even be seen in my own family. My dad has two brothers, which only one of the two went to university. My dad’s younger brother, my uncle Andy, who is in his mid-fifties, never completed his CEGEP degree (grade 12 and 13 equivalent). My dad explained to me that my uncle never thought of school as being important, which was clearly evident in his subpar grades and wild behaviour. On the other hand, my other uncle Scott and my dad chose to go to university where my uncle studied dentistry and my dad became a chartered accountant. My dad and his brothers lived in a time period where dropping out of high school was not uncommon, which partly explains why my uncle Andy was not hesitant in dropping out of CEGEP. I am not saying that my uncle’s situation applies to everyone, but this way of thinking was not uncommon to see during this time period. This phenomenon is definitely influenced by the notion of generational thinking where in this case, Generation X did not place much importance on education when you compare them to Generation Y.

Graph Illustrating the Growing Wage Gap (1965-2013)

            In the 21^st century, it is clearly evident not only that there are less high school dropouts then fifty years ago, but also that there are many more people who are attending university. In an article written by The Future of Children, an affiliate of Princeton University, they highlight this trend by saying that in 1965, the number of young adults enrolled during their prime college-going years of eighteen to twenty-four was approximately 20.3 million and has risen 44 percent since then to about 29.2 million in 2005. This statistic clearly shows a drastic rise in college enrolment and can partially be explained by the change in values between both generations along with the economic circumstances. Now, there is a much greater incentive to attend university due to the growing wage differentials. The Future of Children also outlines the growing wage gap between high school graduates and degree holders. They point out that after WWII the wage gap was extremely minuscule, but in the 1950’s the gap began to widen to a point where in 1999 the average ratio between the pay of a worker with bachelor’s degree earned 1.8 times the annual pay of workers with only a high school diploma. It is clear that over the last fifty years there has been a profound shift on many people’s views towards education and its overall importance.

Students Celebrate Graduating from College

            In conclusion, there is without a doubt been a shift in values on the matter of education between Generation X and Generation Y. The explanation behind this phenomenon can be traced back to many reasons, which include generational thinking and even the growing gap in wages between those who have obtained a bachelor’s degree and those who have not. I expect to see this trend of people pushing for a higher level of education to continue in the coming years as more technological advancements are made to cut unskilled workers out of the workforce.