What is educational investment? (article) | Khan Academy (2024)

Investing isn't just about putting money into things like stocks or bonds. You can also invest in yourself by learning new skills and getting a better education, which can help you succeed in many ways.

Educational investment

Educational investment is all about how much time, money, and effort you and your family put into getting a higher education. People choose to invest in education for different reasons, like personal growth, getting a better job, moving up in the world, or helping their community. Everyone has different goals, so what's important to one person might not be the same for someone else.

The good and the not-so-good

Investing in education can be a great thing because it can lead to more money, better skills, and more opportunities. But, it can also come with some downsides, like expensive tuition, student loans, and missing out on doing other things. You have to weigh the good and the bad to figure out if investing in education is the right choice for you.

Human capital

Human capital is all about your skills, knowledge, and how productive you can be. Education and training can help you build up your human capital, so you're more valuable in the job market. The more education you have, the more skills you can offer to employers, which can lead to better job opportunities and higher pay.

Earnings and education

In general, people in the U.S. earn more money if they have higher levels of education, as shown by the table below:

A bar graph shows the horizontal axis labeled Median weekly earnings in dollars and the vertical axis that lists levels of education, starting at Less than high school to Doctoral degree. The horizontal axis is labeled, from left to right: 0, 1000, and 2000. The vertical axis is labeled from the bottom of the axis to the top of the axis as follows: Less than high school diploma, High school diploma, Some college, Associate's degree, Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, Professional degree, and Doctoral degree. The bar line for each level of education shows the following: Less than high school diploma extends to 626, High school diploma extends to 809, Some college extends to 899, Associate's degree extends to 963, Bachelor's degree extends to 1334, Master's degree extends to 1574, Professional degree extends to 1924, and Doctoral degree extends to 1909.

Higher education and training usually help people gain more knowledge, skills, and abilities, making them better prepared for good-paying jobs. When people have more education, they often become more competitive when looking for work. However, having more education doesn't always guarantee a person will make more money. Other factors, like where you live, the type of job you have, your experience, and even discrimination, can also affect how much money you make.

The changing world of work

The economy and job market have changed a lot in recent years because of things like globalization (how countries trade with each other), automation (machines doing work), and innovation (coming up with new ideas). These changes have led to a greater need for workers with higher skills and less demand for those with lower skills. This is called a skill-biased technological change or a skill premium.

Different education levels

These changes can have different effects on workers, depending on their education and training. For some, it might mean a higher risk of unemployment (not having a job), underemployment (working less than you'd like or in a job that doesn't use your skills), wage stagnation (not making more money over time), or wage inequality (some people making way more than others).

Jobs that need higher education and training

There are some jobs that are growing fast and need people with higher education and training, like health care, information technology, engineering, and more. There is also a high need for jobs that require skills, and not necessarily a degree. Examples of these jobs are mechanics, carpenters, electricians, wind turbine technicians, welders, and more. These jobs often involve hands-on training, where people learn the necessary skills by doing the work instead of sitting in a classroom.

If you're interested in these areas, investing in education or learning these skills could be a smart move.

Tips for getting ready for a changing economy

To prepare for a changing job market, try things like lifelong learning (always learning new things), exploring different careers, and networking (meeting people who can help you find a job). By being proactive and adaptable, you'll be better prepared for whatever the future has in store.

What is educational investment? (article) | Khan Academy (2024)

FAQs

What is educational investment? (article) | Khan Academy? ›

Educational investment is all about how much time, money, and effort you and your family put into getting a higher education. People choose to invest in education for different reasons, like personal growth, getting a better job, moving up in the world, or helping their community.

What is an educational investment? ›

Educational investment refers to the allocation of resources, such as time and money, towards acquiring knowledge and skills that will lead to future benefits. It involves making strategic decisions to invest in education for personal or societal growth.

Is Khan Academy a reliable source? ›

Given what it offers and the fact that it's entirely free to use, Khan Academy is the best learning site for academic subjects and an Editors' Choice pick. Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions.

What is investment answers? ›

What do you mean by Investment? Investment definition is an asset acquired or invested in to build wealth and save money from the hard earned income or appreciation. Investment meaning is primarily to obtain an additional source of income or gain profit from the investment over a specific period of time.

Is Khan Academy evidence-based? ›

The evidence is clear—Khan Academy works. Study after study confirms that using Khan Academy leads to better math performance and attitudes. Whether it's higher standardized test scores, better grades, or increased college readiness, the data tells a consistent story.

How is education an investment in yourself? ›

By expanding your range of knowledge and skill set, you become a valuable asset to your workplace. This leads to a wider range of rewarding career opportunities. Investing in ourselves through lifelong learning contributes to the greater realization of the potential that's within each of us.

Is education worth the investment? ›

College is a good investment

Currently, California workers with a bachelor's degree earn a median annual wage of $81,000. In contrast, only 6 percent of workers with less than a high school diploma earn that much (12% of those with at most a high school diploma).

Can you use Khan Academy as a reference? ›

URL: Give the full URL of the web page including the protocol (http:// or https://). To cite a Khan academy video in a reference entry in APA style 7th edition include the following elements: Title of the video: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.

Why don't schools use Khan Academy? ›

While Khan Academy does offer some tutorials on more traditional topics such as math and science, it greatly favors more modern topics such as coding and technology. This makes it difficult for teachers to use Khan Academy as an effective supplement to their usual lesson plan.

What are the disadvantages of Khan Academy? ›

The last one is that it lessens spontaneous creativity. Khan Academy, by nature, takes away some of the creativity and innovation that develops as you learn. It can only instruct; it cannot inspire and guide you to come to a solution on your own.

What are the disadvantages of investment? ›

10 Disadvantages of Long-Term Investments
  • Liquidity Constraints. According to our methodology, people investing in long-term investments tend to face several liquidity constraints. ...
  • Opportunity Cost. ...
  • Limited Flexibility. ...
  • Emotional Stress. ...
  • Limited Diversification.
Nov 29, 2023

How do you solve investment questions? ›

When working on investment word problems, you will want to substitute all given information into the I = Prt equation, and then solve for whatever is left. You put $1000 into an investment yielding 6% annual interest; you left the money in for two years. How much interest do you get at the end of those two years?

Who controls Khan Academy? ›

Sal Khan is the founder and CEO of Khan Academy, a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. He is also the founder of Schoolhouse.world, Khan Lab School and Khan World School, all nonprofits focused on making world class, personalized mastery education accessible.

Can teachers see what you do on Khan Academy? ›

Khan Academy offers teachers insight to track their students' work on both assigned and unassigned content.

What is Khan Academy best for? ›

A personalized learning resource for all ages

We tackle math, science, computing, history, art history, economics, and more, including K-14 and test preparation (SAT, Praxis, LSAT) content. We focus on skill mastery to help learners establish strong foundations, so there's no limit to what they can learn next!

What is a 529 plan and how does it work? ›

A 529 college savings plan is a state-sponsored investment plan that enables you to save money for a beneficiary and pay for education expenses. You can withdraw funds tax-free to cover nearly any type of college expense. 529 plans may offer additional state or federal tax benefits.

What is an investment for fafsa? ›

Investments include

accounts designated for the student's benefit, (including qualified education benefits, or education savings accounts such as Coverdell savings accounts, 529 college savings plans, and the refund value of 529 prepaid tuition plans).

Are 529 plans worth it? ›

And when you pull the funds out, as long as they're used for qualified higher education expenses, there's no federal income tax on the distribution and often no state income tax. 529 accounts also receive some favorable treatment for financial aid purposes, so they're really a great way to save for college education.

How is your education an investment in society? ›

A well-educated population is not only essential for economic growth but also serves as a catalyst for innovation and the cultivation of a skilled workforce capable of navigating the complexities of today's world.

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