Before we get down to the real topic we should first be aware of what is are High School Diploma and General Education Development (GED). GED is an exam that comprises of five areas namely written skills, social studies, mathematics, science and interpreting literature. After passing through these exams a person is said to have earned not a High School Diploma but a GED. Whereas, when a person completes an accredited High School Program that has met all the credit requirements, he/she is awarded a High School Diploma and is called a 'high school graduate'.

Regular students study for 1-3 years to attain a High School Diploma, whereas some students who appear for a series of tests in a day and attain a GED and move on to college. The question is whether a High School Diploma is better than a GED or whether colleges give equal importance to a GED and a High School Diploma. To evaluate both you can take a look at these hard facts and then choose suitable mode of education.

Let us first take a good look at GED. A student is awarded GED when he/she meets a certain set of criteria. Students who enroll for GED should in no case enroll for or be graduated in a course of High School Diploma. Additionally, they should also be over 26 years of age. Every state has its own requirements that are to be fulfilled by any student who wishes to acquire a GED. GED is awarded to a student who had successfully passed a series of tests on 5 subjects. A student is required to attain more than 60% marks in each of the subjects to be declared as passed.

There is no traditional course as such to attain a GED. It takes around 7 hours on a whole to complete all of the five tests for GED, which a student can give in a single shot. However, one might have to take help of preparation courses in order or fare well in the exams.

In majority of offices a GED is considered as a comparable degree for High School Diploma at the entry level. A small number of employers, however, might consider it as inferior to High School Diploma. If a student proceeds further for higher studies in a college then at a later stage the employers will not bother to know how he/she completed his High School Diploma. Reception in colleges and universities depends from one to the other. While some might not have any problem with a GED, others may not accept a GED as a High School Diploma equivalent.

Most of the schools that offer a High School Diploma allow students to work after attaining one such degree, though rules might vary from state to state. High School Diplomas do not have any specific age requirements. However, in order to receive a High School Diploma, students have to complete the courseware as decided by their school district, which might vary from one district to the other. Traditionally, a student takes around four years to attain a High School Diploma. This diploma is widely accepted at offices at the entry level. In order to attain a higher position in office, students often opt for a college degree rather than working in an office after high school.

However, those who move into the service sector earn more as compare to those who enter the service bandwagon without a High School Diploma. In colleges also, students who have attained a High School Diploma are accepted most times. However, it is not guaranteed that a person holding a High School Diploma or GED will be accepted in a college. Other factors like coursework, grade point average and co-curricular activities are also given importance.