Top five reasons why a college degree is your key to unlocking success
Feb. 11, 2025
Kumbimi Agosu, a third-year student in Georgian’s Honours Bachelor of Science – Nursing degree program, always knew she wanted a career focused on helping people. The idea of providing compassionate health care to those in her community seemed fulfilling and rewarding. To pursue a nursing degree, Kumbimi was faced with a big decision: go to college or university?
Having previously attended university for a degree in psychology, Kumbimi didn’t excel in the learning environment she felt was large and impersonal, and wanted a more intimate setting where she could learn, ask questions and feel at home.
“One of the main deciding factors when I was choosing my degree was to go to a school where the classes were small enough for faculty to pay attention and help students in need,” Kumbimi says. “I also learned that colleges focused more on hands-on experiences whereas university was more theoretical, and I chose what was better for my learning style which meant Georgian College.”
I would recommend a college degree to future students especially those who learn more when they can practicalize things. The hands-on experience plus the personalized support from faculty and close relationships with classmates makes it truly worthwhile.
Kumbimi Agosu, third-year Nursing degree student
Now as Kumbimi nears the end of her journey at Georgian, she plans to start working as a mental health nurse and eventually pursue further studies to work in specialized areas like critical care or public health. “I’ve been impressed with the quality of education with this nursing degree and I can already see how much my confidence has grown since I first started,” says Kumbimi. “Georgian has given me the skills, knowledge and assurance I need to feel prepared for a successful nursing career.”
It’s time to alter your brain chemistry about college degrees
If you’ve ever been told that a university degree holds greater value than a college degree, we challenge you to rethink. Your education is less about what society perceives as better and more about what’s best for you.
If you’re into more hands-on learning, gaining top practical skills employers are looking for to lead the future and saving on costs, a college degree from Georgian might be for you. Choosing college also means small class sizes and industry experts who care about your success, helping you unlock more pathways to wherever you want to go.
“Georgian has a strong reputation as a leader in delivering high-value, innovative degrees tailored to the needs of today’s industries,” says Sheila West, Associate Vice President, Academic, Georgian College. “Our degrees have a rich blend of academic theory and applied learning in state-of-the-art facilities that prepare our graduates for successful and enriching careers. With a Georgian degree, students gain the skills they need to become the doers, thinkers, creators and leaders of the future.”
Here are the top five reasons to earn a college degree:
1. Get career-ready with hands-on learning and industry connections
The college experience is unique – these degrees combine theoretical knowledge with practical, hands-on experience to put that learning into action. Almost all of Georgian’s programs offer a work-integrated learning experience. Whether it’s co-op, an internship or a field placement, all eight of Georgian’s degrees have at least one of these included. During your experience, you’ll have the chance to work with industry partners and build strong connections to elevate your career after graduation.
For Kumbimi, the best parts of Georgian’s nursing degree are the clinical and simulation days. She gets to interact with patients, their family and care providers, and collaborate with health-care professionals from other hospitals to get information to help her patients.
“One common theme I noticed when asking friends from similar university programs was that they tend to focus more on things like academic research papers and theory over practical skills,” Kumbimi says. “While Georgian does the same, they prioritize the hands-on learning more which I love because I believe as nurses, we need more of the practical skills.”
2. Graduate with less debt
No need to break the bank to get a stellar education!
While costs range between institutions, tuition fees for undergraduate students in Ontario universities can range anywhere between $5,000 to $8,000 or more per year*. The average tuition fees for college bachelor’s degree programs are $6,100**, but cost can vary based on program requirements and equipment.
3. Learn from experienced, expert faculty
Our degree programs are taught by the best of the best, industry-accredited faculty who hold advanced credentials and top qualifications. Many Georgian faculty also work in the fields they teach in, learning the latest trends to prepare you for the needs of today’s workforce.
They all come with diverse skill sets and backgrounds, all extremely passionate and dedicated to helping you succeed. Their experiences in their fields bring unique perspectives to the classroom, combining academic theory with vast industry knowledge.
On each Georgian degree webpage, you can read about your future faculty and learn more about their educational credentials and certifications, research projects and publications, professional affiliations and career highlights.
4. Benefit from smaller, close-knit campuses and classes
While your studies are important, you’ll need time to relax and unwind and get to know what’s outside the college doors. Georgian’s seven campuses (plus one location in downtown Barrie) are more than just dots on a map; they’re vibrant communities where our students and many of our graduates live, work and play in.
In university, you can often expect classes of 100 students or more in larger lectures***, while college classes are usually much smaller meaning more personalized support from faculty.
5. Get a degree that works as hard as you do
A Georgian degree can take you on pathways you’ve never imagined; working just as hard to help you succeed as you did to earn it. Whether you’re coming straight from high school or returning to education later in life, we have options!
- If you’ve already attended college or university, you may receive transfer credit toward a degree program at Georgian. That means you don’t have to start from scratch if you already have some skills and experience to build on. You can also take advantage of articulation agreements with other postsecondary institutions across the world.
- Want to start with a diploma program first before transitioning into a degree program? Learn how to turn your diploma into a degree and read some student success stories.
NEW degree you’ll want to keep on your radar
Coming fall 2025, Georgian is already accepting applications for a brand-new Industrial Design degree. With this program, you’ll blend your creativity and strategic problem-solving to design human-centric products and solutions. Not only that, but you’ll also work with industry partners on real projects from concept to production through three co-op terms. Industrial design is a fast-growing industry, and you’ll become equipped with the skills to use leading edge and disruptive technologies – such as VR/AR/MR, AI, and additive manufacturing.
Georgian offers several other degree programs to get you where you want to be:
Ready to unlock MORE?
Sources:
*Universities Canada (2024) Retrieved from https://univcan.ca/about-universities-canada/facts-and-stats/tuition-fees-by-university/
**Ontario Colleges (2024) Retrieved from https://www.ontariocolleges.ca/en/colleges/paying-for-college
***Embark (October 6, 2023) Retrieved from https://www.embark.ca/learning-centre/university-vs-college