Question

the cost of a college education
when experts and journalists spend so much time talking about the limitations of education, they almost certainly are discouraging some teenagers from going to college and some adults from going back to earn degrees. (those same experts and journalists are sending their own children to college and often obsessing over which one.) the decision not to attend college for fear that its a bad deal is among the most economically irrational decisions anybody could make in 2014. the much - discussed cost of college doesnt change this fact. according to a paper by mr. autor published thursday in the journal science, the true cost of a college degree is about negative $500,000. thats right: over the long run, college is cheaper than free. not going to college will cost you about half a million dollars.

• \is college worth it? clearly, new data say,\ the new york times

according to the text, why is the choice not to attend college often a poor decision?
the immediate cost of attending college is cheaper than most people think.
without a college education, workers will actually lose money in the long run.
college ultimately costs a lot of money, but a worker cannot survive without a degree.
people who chose not to go to college are often the type to make irrational decisions.

Explanation:

The text states that not going to college is an economically - irrational decision as in the long run, workers without a college education will actually lose money. It mentions that over the long run, the true cost of a college degree is negative (meaning it is beneficial financially), while not going to college will cost about half a million dollars.

Answer:

Without a college education, workers will actually lose money in the long run.