What is the value of a higher education?

How much is the value of higher education?

• I am putting aside higher education / better work opportunities because I have reasons to stay back in my country and support my dependents. Since a very early age I have become used to putting my personal choices behind my responsibilities and it seems to have become a big emotional burden. So much so that I sometimes develop a feeling of hate/disgust towards people I need to support. And I am also developing a feeling of envy towards those who grew up with me and I would always be ahead of them in terms of talent / grades / performance  but are now doing better than me because they were independent to pursue their self interests. To put things in perspective I am earning fairly well  but perhaps a multiple below my potential and also the positions that get opened for me are limited. I work with PhDs of my field too at times but often end up solving problems faster than them. How much am I missing out by not having a higher degree ( a masters or a PhD ) and not choosing to aggressively chase positions / relocate?

• Answer:

  A higher education helps an individual grow as a person, by exposing them to a wealth of knowledge and resources. College education helps students establish interpersonal networks, which include peers as well as professionals. Higher education teaches students about discipline and hard work, as well as about success and challenges.