Is College Worth the Time and Money?

College is often presented as THE best path to success. But it's not the only path. Is college really the best option?

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**How important is a college degree today, really?**
College is often presented as THE BEST option, full stop. Why? Because it's not your grandparents' economy anymore. Back in 1950, a high school diploma could get you a solid, good-paying job. You could go work on an assembly line, save money, and even buy a house. Today? Not so much. Most of the factory jobs have gone to other countries, where labor is cheaper. And good-paying careers out there now are more complex. As a result, college is now more popular today than ever before.

**How much does college cost?**
The average cost to attend a private college is over $35,000 A YEAR! That makes in-state, public colleges look like a bargain at $10,000 a year. College wasn't always this expensive! If you adjust for inflation, students in 1990 were paying ⅓ of what they're paying today. Maybe today's grads are AT LEAST making more money? NOPE! New college grads in 1990 made around the same amount of money -- on average -- as new college grads today. To pay the absurdly high cost of college, students are taking out loans, and that means debt. The typical student leaves college owing around 30,000 dollars.

**What are the pros of going to college?**
The arguments FOR college are that it pays out more money over time -- on average -- than most other options. It can help you transition into living life as an adult. And it gives you access to an alumni network which can help you with job opportunities.

**What are the cons of college?**
It can be risky because you could go into debt and might not even graduate. A lot of people WITH college degrees have jobs that don't require it. And there are other quicker, cheaper options that might get you where you want to go.

SOURCES:
Why Is College in America So Expensive? (The Atlantic)

Millennial life: How young adulthood today compares with prior generations (Pew Research Center)

College Completion Rates Are Up, But The Numbers Will Still Surprise You (NPR)

Why Google doesn't care about hiring top college graduates (Quartz)

The case against college (The Washington Post)

General Education, Vocational Education, and Labor-Market Outcomes over the Lifecycle (The Journal of Human Resources)

Nine out of 10 new jobs are going to those with a college degree (MarketWatch)

Educational Attainment in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau)

Some 43% of College Grads Are Underemployed in First Job (The Wall Street Journal)

The Labor Market for Recent College Graduates (Federal Reserve Bank of New York)

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[AboveTheNoise]

Are you thinking about NOT going to college -- or did you already make that decision? Did you decide to go to college? How do you feel about your choice? Let us know in the comments below!

[TheJustReyes]

An electrician here, who did not go to college. Living in california making 65k a year. School wasnt my thing and I dont blame anyone for being pro or con college. My wife went to college and got her bachelors in nutrition. That made it all the better that i had my career down with no debt from school to provide for her financially. Now we're both well off because of our different choices. Make your choice. There are many routes

[PaulsPubAndBrew]

Skipping college was the best choice I ever made. I've been a computer programmer for nearly 20 years.

[evilotto]

What's after college?
If you haven't yet answered this for yourself, save your family the cost of tuition.

[syawkcab]

College no longer guarantees you a good job, but if you do it right, as in you make connections, get good grades, get internships, and do things that build your resume, you'll be a really strong candidate when you get out

But if you squander the opportunity, it can be a waste unfortunately

[eos_]

College has worked for me. Went to community college for two years and transferred to a university, seek internship and volunteered in many field of expertise. I make more money then I did without one and I paid of my 17k debt a year after. Just play your cards and make smart choices, like avoiding living like your rich.

[easygoingdude]

When I was struggling in college my dad told me something I'll never forget. He said that you're going there not to learn engineering but how to deal with people. It's a vaccine for real life. That helped me stick it out

Edit : I'm quite surprised at the shit this stirred up in the replies two fucking years later. I will not go into details but when I broke down, struggling and was close to quitting my dad was there for me and told me what I needed to hear. This was my personal experience. If you cannot relate then honestly good for you. God forbid someone else's experience of life is different from yours. Muting notifications. I wish you all well

[jlshoem]

I went to college for 3 semesters. Then, I gave up. I was working part-time at a TV repair shop. I learned electronics. I became an electronic technician. That was in 1970. About 20 years ago, I took several Microsoft classes and got certificates for each class. I have been working as a computer technician since then, and I love the work and the pay. No regrets about college.

[mprime]

Don’t go to college right away. You have not the life experience to understand the value of education and it’s cost. Work first, learn how to earn $/save, and take internships/network, or join the military for the GI bill. Don’t screw your life over for students loans. It will delay and hinder your younger years and the debt will prevent you from buying a home or starting a family.

[qk]

Everyone is forgetting about the kids that have parents who have no trade or degree and they are the first generation and have no guide!

[ramanpreciado]

I wanted to cry when you said it took you seven years and i felt like a failure if couldn't in 4 years, . So thank you bro for motivating me.

[isaacthomas]

Amazing video, A friend of mine referred me to a financial adviser sometime ago and we got to talking about investment and money. I started investing with $150k and in the first 2 months, my portfolio was reading $274, 800. Crazy right!, I decided to reinvest my profit and get more interesting. For over a year we have been working together making consistent profit just bought my second home 2 weeks ago and care for my family.

[greevar]

Going to college puts you in massive debt so you'll be desperate to take any job that will help you pay that debt back.

[Taitmon]

I attended college for 2 years, got my general studies and associate of science and liberal arts. After the 2 years my financial aid ran out and I was looking at a wall of debt if I chose to continue college. So, I looked at alternatives. I found a trade school for programming and became a mainframe sys programmer. Now I am working with people who owe 50K in debt for college loans. Note: if you take this path and end up working with people who just got out of college with student loans.... they can be a bit salty toward you because they didn't take a short cut. Really it all depends on you, your options, and what you want to do for a living. A key factor that set me apart was the fact that I grew confident in interviews by going to random interviews for jobs I would never take. Another factor was that I worked my way up to a manager position while in college. Good luck to you and your future whatever path you choose to take and remember the good Lord loves you.

[Palzooe]

that 100k to not go is sounding real good right now

[ilovedeactivatedaccounts]

I wouldn’t ever have been able to afford my 4-year university. I went to my city/community college for 2 years then transferred to my university for the last 2 years. It was the most mentality straining process I’ve been through so far but I’m still very proud of the degree I got from my university.

[emmacat]

Go to the community college first to save money. I wish I could have done that.

[gizmobowen]

The favorite thing that I like about my degree is that it tells employers that I know how to learn something and put it to use. I think they're more willing to present you with opportunities if they think you'll have a good chance to succeed. I may be wrong but I think a college degree gives them more confidence in you. I know a lot of people who've gotten good jobs that aren't related to their degrees but were given a chance because they had a degree.

[ctcboater]

The most important thing to me: college opened up my mind to new ideas and experiences. Take courses outside your "vocational" center. They can be the most interesting.

[Le_monsieur]

Well the thing about me is that I plan on being self-employed, and run my own business, and I just don’t think college is built for that kind of profession.