Community College or Bachelor Degree?

Do you have a tough decision ahead of you? You've got the grades and you qualify for a four year school, and you've been told that if you get that four year degree you'll earn a lot more money. However, what you want to do only takes a two year degree and you know of some very successful people who started off with a two year degree.

Take for instance, an interior design degree. There are many two year colleges offering either a certificate or a two year degree. One can also complete a four degree. Which is the one for you? First, let's look at the financial costs involved as it's a strong factor in any decision making process.

Recently I met someone who owned an interior design company. As we rambled about all the things that people generally spoke about, he mentioned that he had recently employed a young graduate with a four year degree in Interior Design. She had a student debt of $80,000.00 and he was paying her $15 per hour. He was disgruntled with the situation as her skills weren't worth more than that, and yet he knew that it was not possible to pay that colossal debt on a salary of about $30,000 per annum. The average salary for an interior designer is about $36,000.00 per annum, depending on the city and state.

The way the Interior Design industry is set up, it's possible for someone with either a two year or a four degree to obtain the necessary industry credentials. The deciding factor is experience. Those with a two year degree require two more years of experience before writing industry exams. That means that, if a student were to do the Associate Degree, not only would it be about 30% of the price of a four year college degree, but the next two years would be spent earning money.

Is there any benefit to obtaining a four year degree in Interior Design? The last two years are spent studying art but nothing that is specifically related to interior design). In this particular case, the factors to be taken into consideration would be: