One of the wonderful things about education is that it’s never-ending. It can affect your personal growth, professional trajectory and even your relationships. When you commit to never stop learning — to thinking critically and honestly about the information you encounter each day — you can continually work toward becoming the best version of yourself.
Why is education important and what are some of its many benefits? Explore 12 top benefits here:
1. Stability
Having an education, particularly a college degree, may lead to greater stability in various aspects of life.1 Your education cannot be taken away from you. Whatever you learn, inside the classroom or outside it, can help enrich your life.1
2. Income
People with a college degree may have the opportunity to make more money than high school graduates. Here is a look at the median usual weekly earnings for the first quarter of 2024 by education level, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:2
- Less than a high school diploma — $734
- High school diploma — $946
- Associate degree or incomplete bachelor’s degree — $1,053
- Bachelor’s degree and higher —$1,697
3. Independence
The independence that can come from earning your education may also give you the freedom to grow and develop skills throughout your life. Further education may help you prepare yourself professionally for more career options.
4. The Importance of Education for Goal Attainment
Although higher education is not always possible for everyone, it is a goal people often set for themselves or their children. They may see the benefits of earning a college degree, and they want those benefits for themselves or their children. By persisting in your educational journey, you may have the opportunity to reach the goals you have set for yourself. This practice of setting goals, such as higher education attainment, begins with achieving a strong early education.
Why is early childhood education important in particular? Early education is potentially key to:3
- Academic and personal growth
- School readiness
- Academic performance
- High school graduation rate increase
- Better social behaviors
Not only that, but studies have shown that receiving a strong education at an early age has a long-lasting benefit. In a longitudinal study, 40-year-olds who participated in a preschool program were shown to be more likely to have attained a higher education level, have higher earnings, committed fewer crimes and owned a car and home as compared to those who did not attend preschool.4
Everyone has different goals in life, of course, but education can be helpful no matter what your goals are and no matter what you envision your future to be like.
5. Global Connection
Another factor in the importance of education is the development of global awareness and cultural competencies.5 When we learn about various cultures, we become connected to the world beyond ourselves and our own communities.5 When we better understand where other people are coming from or what they have been through, we are more likely to seek and find peaceful resolutions to conflict.
6. Self-Confidence
Education can play a key role in building self-confidence by providing you with opportunities to interact with knowledgeable faculty, participate in hands-on activities and network with other professionals.6 It can encourage you to step out of your comfort zone, explore new ideas and engage in meaningful discussions, all of which can foster greater confidence.7 As you acquire new knowledge and experiences, you might find yourself developing a deeper sense of self and important life skills, along with academic growth.
7. Why Is Education Important for Economic Growth?
Education is crucial for economic growth because it helps develop a skilled and knowledgeable workforce, which in turn may boost productivity and innovation.8 A well-educated population – especially in literacy and numeracy – may be more equipped to adapt to technological advancements, improve efficiency in industries and drive entrepreneurial activity.9 Additionally, education can contribute to higher income levels, reduced poverty and greater social mobility, all of which support a more prosperous economy.9 By fostering both individual and collective potential, education can help lay the foundation for long-term economic stability and growth.9
8. Awareness
Education can help enhance critical thinking and analytical skills, enabling individuals to better understand key logical reasoning methods and complex challenges of the modern world, such as:10
- Evaluating information critically (i.e. interpreting legal documents and contracts)
- Making informed decisions (i.e. reducing the susceptibility to scams)
- Encouraging curiosity and questioning (i.e. improving health literacy and communication with healthcare providers)
Education can also play a key role in understanding what decisions you should make regarding your health. The skills and resources obtained throughout your academic journey are helpful when considering nutrition, healthcare options, physical fitness and other choices that could affect your well-being.11
9. Appreciation
Education can introduce you to ideas and cultures that may extend your current familiarity. While you may have been exposed to certain types of music, art or literature growing up, higher education often offers the opportunity to explore a broader range of topics and cultural expressions, which may deepen your appreciation of global contributions.12
The process of scientific discovery, for example, might be something you’re encountering for the first time. You might come across new music styles or art forms created by individuals or communities you hadn’t previously known. Through the exploration of different disciplines and perspectives, education can help foster a deeper, more nuanced understanding of a healthy lifestyle.13 This may help broaden one's appreciation for the world around us.13
10. Productivity
In the workplace, completing tasks efficiently is often valued. Working quickly and accurately can contribute to a positive impression.
Education may help improve skills that enhance productivity and effectiveness on the job, such as:14
- Communication skills
- Productivity
- Budgeting and money management
- Time management
- Problem solving
- Critical thinking
- Organization and perseverance
Many of these skills can be transferred to the workplace, where there may be many tasks to complete at any given time.
11. The Importance of Education for Personal Growth
You need never stop learning, and one major benefit of education is learning how to learn. Having completed your formal education, you may know even better how to find the information you want and how to read and study effectively to become more knowledgeable about the world around you.10
Education throughout all stages of your life may help refresh skills you learned in earlier years or learn new skills valuable to adapt to the current need. The questions that you ask about the world, now or later, can be explored and answered through your study.10 The more questions you ask, the more you get to know what is important to you and the world around you. Understanding the importance of education can fuel your personal growth.10
12. Information Access
Education may offer opportunities to develop research skills and help you prepare to study ways to critically assess the information you encounter. Higher education can help you evaluate sources and consider their reliability and objectivity.15
