College signing day isn’t just for athletes anymore.

North Rowan High School hosted its first school-wide college signing day Monday to recognize all students headed to college, whether they were athletes or not.

When a high school student is recruited to play college sports, their decision to go to college is celebrated – their schools host ceremonies, invite the media and make a big deal out of the student’s college choice.

While being recruited to play college athletics is quite an accomplishment, so is any student’s decision to go to college.

That’s why North Rowan Principal Fatema Fulmore implemented the school-wide college signing.

“We do it for athletes – why shouldn’t we do it for you?” she said.

Fulmore borrowed the idea from her previous school.

North Rowan’s seniors gathered for a festive assembly Monday morning. Students filtered into the school’s auditorium wearing school colors and tees, and handmade banners representing different schools covered the walls around the school.

Guidance counselor Allison Courtney called students up to the stage by the school they plan to attend in the fall. They sat around a table and signed contracts for their chosen school. Students who were headed into the work force or the military were recognized, as well.

After the ceremony, they were treated to a cake and ice cream celebration.

“We wanted to celebrate your senior year and all you’ve accomplished this year,” Fulmore told the students.

There was a lot to celebrate, after all – a record number of North Rowan High School seniors applied for college this year, 80 percent in all.

College is an increasingly important step for young adults in today’s society.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2014 the median weekly income for those with only a high school diploma is $688, which is roughly $35,776 a year. Those with some college education, but no diploma have a median income of $741 a week, for $38,000 a year. Associate’s degree holders make a median weekly income of $792, or $41,184 annually.

Salaries jump drastically between associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees – the median weekly income for a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree is $1,101. That’s roughly $57,252 a year. Median salaries only go up from there.

Of course, there are always exceptions to any rule, and this one is no different.

Take Steve Jobs and Bill Gates for example, both men dropped out of college, but with ingenuity and a little bit of luck, they earned billions of dollars.

On the flip side, a newspaper reporter in North Carolina, is likely required to have a bachelor’s degree, but only has a median wage of $40,810 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2014 Occupational Employment Statistics.

Four-year degrees aren’t the end all, be all of college degrees, either.

Associate’s degrees can lead to careers in a variety of fields – medicine, construction, mechanics and other industries. Many of these careers offer surprisingly competitive salaries.

Going to college can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a challenge. If you look at the numbers, though, it’s a challenge worth accepting.