Why Stay in School?

If you aren't making great grades — maybe not even passing — you might be wondering if school is for you. You're the same person with or without a high school diploma, right?

Wrong.

It might seem like just a piece of paper, but it's a key that unlocks the door to getting a job, better pay and a whole lot of careers, whether or not you intend to go to college or get more training after high school.

More classes, more jobs

The numbers don't lie. Take March 2009, when the number of people unemployed is getting higher. You've heard about the recession, right? There are 154 million Americans in the work force right now, and 13 million of them don't have a job. That might just sound like a bunch of big numbers to you, but think about it this way: 13 million is the population of the entire state of Illinois. Now imagine if not one person in Illinois had a job!

How a high school diploma helps

If you're trying to compete against all these other people for the jobs that are out there, having a diploma can put you ahead. It also helps you earn more money — and that's more important than you think! If you don't think so, try this Reality Check game, and see how much it really costs to be an adult.

Are you convinced yet? The chart below shows that having a high school diploma means you can make as much as $1,400 more every month — that's enough that after a year, you could pay for a car!

Where did you stop?	Top Monthly Salary
Dropped out of high school	$3,904
High School Diploma	$5,326
Some college/vocational certification	$6,262
Bachelor's degree	$9,594