{"id":85799,"date":"2025-06-09T06:04:59","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T11:04:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/?p=85799"},"modified":"2025-06-16T07:55:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T12:55:11","slug":"college-degree-worth-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/college-degree-worth-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Is a College Degree Really Worth It?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ever since the Servicemen\u2019s Readjustment Act of 1944 (known as the GI Bill) was signed into law, earning a college degree became the ticket to American prosperity. By 1956, nearly half of World War II veterans had taken advantage of the education and training available through the benefits, which included assistance with tuition, books, and even housing. The U.S. workforce was on its way to achieving the highest level of education in its history and the earning power that can help create.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, we are still a majority nation of workers without college on their resumes. More than 60% of adults over 25 do not hold four-year college degrees<\/a>, according to 2022 U.S. Census data. Reasons for skipping higher education are varied, as are levels of success and job satisfaction. It\u2019s a tough decision, made tougher by the fact that you attend college with a certain degree of faith\u2014not proof\u2014that it will pay off for you in the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\"SUCCESS<\/a>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no question that, statistically speaking, a college degree leads to dramatically better outcomes for employment and earnings. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rates for non-college grads is significantly higher than that of college grads. According to 2021 analysis<\/a> by Georgetown University\u2019s Center on Education and the Workforce, graduating from a four-year college means you will earn, on average, $1.2 million more than your high-school graduate counterpart in a lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet the decision of whether to pursue a college degree is just about as unique as the number of people who ask it. \u201cNone of us are average; we are individuals,\u201d notes Ron Lieber, columnist for The New York Times<\/em> and author of The Price You Pay for College<\/a><\/em>. \u201cSo I think it\u2019s only healthy to ask, \u2018What is the point of this exercise?\u2019 If you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re shopping for, it\u2019s hard to evaluate whether you stand a good enough chance of getting that return.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lately, higher education<\/a> has come under fire by many critics. The average price of a four-year college degree in 2025 for an in-state student at a public university is $108,000; that total literally doubles for private education. The news cycle carries cautionary tales of students who spent thousands of dollars earning a degree only to discover they were unable to find a well-paying job afterward. Meanwhile, the loan payments keep coming. In a 2023 survey by the Federal Reserve, nearly 4 in 10 Americans who pursued higher education took out loans to help pay for it. Most students come out owing between $20,000 and $40,000, and it can take 20 years for the average borrower to pay it all back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The case for pursuing a college degree<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite the price tag, a four-year college degree carries with it an intrinsic value that will pay off in ways both specific and nonspecific. Likely the biggest payoff is in its longstanding position as a key indicator of job readiness: The vast majority of employers offering professional and white-collar career paths still ask for an undergraduate degree, if not a master\u2019s degree. This is particularly true in fields like finance, technology, health care, education and science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

College graduates continue to have an edge over non-college grads in terms of job opportunities in fields that offer the highest pay. Not only do starting salaries tend to be higher but the benefits can increase dramatically over time. According to one study<\/a>, college wage premiums more than double over a worker\u2019s lifetime, from 27% at age 25 to 60% at age 55.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it came time for Kareem Abdol-Hamid to think about college, it wasn\u2019t a matter of going or not going. \u201cIt really wasn\u2019t ever a question for me,\u201d he says. He attended Virginia Tech and earned a degree in computer science. Today, the 27-year-old works as a senior solutions architect at AWS and says he was able to pay off his $20,000 student loan debt<\/a> in one year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wonders of a bigger world opening up on campus, particularly in a city or state that is unfamiliar, can be a profound and life-changing experience. \u201cThe most important part of a college degree is the way that you understand the world you live in, and to be a contributing member of society, you need to understand the world,\u201d says Sara Stout, assistant dean of student affairs at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pursuing a degree takes time and money but if you\u2019re in it, finish it. One of the worst scenarios is dropping out of college and facing thousands in student loan debt without a degree to show for it. \u201cOur tours have tripled from last year to this year,\u201d Stout says. \u201c[Kids] are doing a lot more investigating and researching. They\u2019re figuring out what they are going to get for what they are investing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The argument against a college degree<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Tristan
Photo courtesy of Tristan Anderson (second from right, with some UFC fighters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Things are changing dramatically within higher education. After decades of high favorability within most sectors of society, colleges and universities now face a diminishing reputation. Consider a recent Gallup poll: just 36% of Americans have a high level of confidence in higher education versus 57% 10 years ago. The cost of a four-year degree<\/a> is under more scrutiny, and in some ways, it\u2019s a buyer\u2019s market as colleges struggle to fill classrooms. Even so, the expenditure of both time and money might seem excessive to someone who doesn\u2019t feel that continued education will help them achieve their goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tristan Anderson went off to community college while most of his friends set out for four-year universities. \u201cMy family [and I] believed it was in my best interest to continue at Orange Coast College, then transfer to a four-year college\u2026 to pursue an easy degree like anthropology,\u201d the 22-year-old says. But after his sophomore year, something clicked. \u201cI\u2026 realized I had no plans of getting a job with the anthropology degree I was working towards,\u201d Anderson continued. \u201cWith that, my drive to finish my college degree diminished completely.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An avid photographer since middle school, Anderson realized his experience surpassed that of many of his peers. \u201cI have spoken with film and photography majors and have noticed that I have more knowledge and experience than the people who are going to school for it,\u201d he says. He says his sports photos recently caught the attention of the UFC, and he hopes to become a professional sports photographer and run his own business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternative sources of education are vying for the attention and dollars of would-be students. Someone interested in the trades<\/a> has a host of training options that can help them learn valuable skills and land a good job. Trade schools teach specific skills in automotive mechanics, cosmetology, culinary, nursing, graphic arts, plumbing and welding, to name a few. Industry-driven apprenticeship programs within private and public companies offer free training along with wages; they culminate in portable certifications and two- or four-year degrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Amanda
Photo courtesy of Amanda Monreal (on the job at Marathon Petroleum Corporation in Long Beach, CA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Amanda Monreal received her automotive certification just before the 2008 housing crash. With almost zero jobs available, she pivoted to factory work as a laborer making wires and cabling. Soon, she saw an opening for a maintenance mechanic. \u201cI told [my boss] I had experience working in automotive and would [he] take a chance and let me try out working on machinery,\u201d Monreal recalls. \u201cMy boss said, \u2018You know, that sounds like a good idea; let\u2019s go ahead and do it.\u2019\u201d Monreal progressed very quickly, and in a few years moved on to electrical maintenance. Today, the 37-year-old is an electrical and instrumentation technician for a large energy company and makes a six-figure salary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who bypass college and still find the career they want are those who study their fields and know what they want to do. Along with that, they should keep an eye on industries facing a shortage of trained workers. For example, a variety of factors have shrunk the pool of trained pilots, so most major airlines have dropped their requirement for a four-year degree, and at least one has its own aviation training program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is a college degree for everyone?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the question of whether a college degree is right for you isn\u2019t the right question. \u201cI say college is something everyone should consider<\/em> in the same way that everyone should consider enrolling in the U.S. armed forces and serving our country, in the same way they should consider pursuing an entrepreneurial idea,\u201d Lieber says. \u201cThis idea that something \u2018is for everyone\u2019 but some things are not for certain people\u2014I just don\u2019t buy it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo by EduLife Photos\/Shutterstock<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Weigh the cost of college against career outcomes. Discover who benefits most from a degree and who might thrive without one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":96746,"featured_media":85804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14060],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/college-degree-worth-it.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Erika Kotite","author_link":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/author\/erika-kotite\/"},"yoast_head":"\nIs a College Degree Still Worth It? What to Know | SUCCESS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Weigh the cost of college against career outcomes. 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She wrote two books about she sheds and has a Substack newsletter\u00a0called The Velvet Chaise, which helps people find their inner she shed style even if it's in the dining room."],"rich_editing":["true"],"syntax_highlighting":["true"],"comment_shortcuts":["false"],"admin_color":["fresh"],"use_ssl":["0"],"show_admin_bar_front":["true"],"locale":[""],"wp_capabilities":["a:1:{s:6:\"author\";b:1;}"],"wp_user_level":["0"],"_yoast_wpseo_profile_updated":["1743539680"],"dismissed_wp_pointers":[""],"hubspot_contact_id":["110722527147"],"wp_elementor_enable_ai":["1"],"wpseo_metadesc":[""],"wpseo_title":[""],"wpseo_content_analysis_disable":[""],"wpseo_keyword_analysis_disable":[""],"wpseo_user_schema":["a:0:{}"],"molongui_author_phone":[""],"molongui_author_job":[""],"molongui_author_company":[""],"molongui_author_company_link":[""],"molongui_author_custom_link":[""],"molongui_author_box_display":["default"],"molongui_author_short_bio":["Erika Kotite is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles who knows a lot about she sheds."],"molongui_author_image_id":[""],"molongui_author_image_url":[""],"molongui_author_image_edit":[""],"advanced-ads-role":[""]}}]},"custom_post_content":"<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ever since the Servicemen\u2019s Readjustment Act of 1944 (known as the GI Bill) was signed into law, earning a college degree became the ticket to American prosperity. By 1956, nearly half of World War II veterans had taken advantage of the education and training available through the benefits, which included assistance with tuition, books, and even housing. The U.S. workforce was on its way to achieving the highest level of education in its history and the earning power that can help create.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Nevertheless, we are still a majority nation of workers without college on their resumes. More than 60% of adults over 25 do not hold <a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2022\/educational-attainment.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">four-year college degrees<\/a>, according to 2022 U.S. Census data. Reasons for skipping higher education are varied, as are levels of success and job satisfaction. It\u2019s a tough decision, made tougher by the fact that you attend college with a certain degree of faith\u2014not proof\u2014that it will pay off for you in the end.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n\n<!-- \/wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>There\u2019s no question that, statistically speaking, a college degree leads to dramatically better outcomes for employment and earnings. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rates for non-college grads is significantly higher than that of college grads. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/cew.georgetown.edu\/cew-reports\/collegepayoff2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2021 analysis<\/a> by Georgetown University\u2019s Center on Education and the Workforce, graduating from a four-year college means you will earn, on average, $1.2 million more than your high-school graduate counterpart in a lifetime.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Yet the decision of whether to pursue a college degree is just about as unique as the number of people who ask it. \u201cNone of us are average; we are individuals,\u201d notes Ron Lieber, columnist for <em>The New York Times<\/em> and author of <em><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4lrHHSc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Price You Pay for College<\/a><\/em>. \u201cSo I think it\u2019s only healthy to ask, \u2018What is the point of this exercise?\u2019 If you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re shopping for, it\u2019s hard to evaluate whether you stand a good enough chance of getting that return.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Lately, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/how-to-finance-higher-education-on-a-budget\/\">higher education<\/a> has come under fire by many critics. The average price of a four-year college degree in 2025 for an in-state student at a public university is $108,000; that total literally doubles for private education. The news cycle carries cautionary tales of students who spent thousands of dollars earning a degree only to discover they were unable to find a well-paying job afterward. Meanwhile, the loan payments keep coming. In a 2023 survey by the Federal Reserve, nearly 4 in 10 Americans who pursued higher education took out loans to help pay for it. Most students come out owing between $20,000 and $40,000, and it can take 20 years for the average borrower to pay it all back.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-case-for-pursuing-a-college-degree\">The case for pursuing a college degree<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Despite the price tag, a four-year college degree carries with it an intrinsic value that will pay off in ways both specific and nonspecific. Likely the biggest payoff is in its longstanding position as a key indicator of job readiness: The vast majority of employers offering professional and white-collar career paths still ask for an undergraduate degree, if not a master\u2019s degree. This is particularly true in fields like finance, technology, health care, education and science.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>College graduates continue to have an edge over non-college grads in terms of job opportunities in fields that offer the highest pay. Not only do starting salaries tend to be higher but the benefits can increase dramatically over time. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/static1.squarespace.com\/static\/60832ecef615231cedd30911\/t\/648782a74c77dd494b02c789\/1686602408024\/Deming_OJL_June2023.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">one study<\/a>, college wage premiums more than double over a worker\u2019s lifetime, from 27% at age 25 to 60% at age 55.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>When it came time for Kareem Abdol-Hamid to think about college, it wasn\u2019t a matter of going or not going. \u201cIt really wasn\u2019t ever a question for me,\u201d he says. He attended Virginia Tech and earned a degree in computer science. Today, the 27-year-old works as a senior solutions architect at AWS and says he was able to pay off his $20,000 student loan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/got-debt-take-these-5-steps-to-get-it-under-control\/\">debt<\/a> in one year.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The wonders of a bigger world opening up on campus, particularly in a city or state that is unfamiliar, can be a profound and life-changing experience. \u201cThe most important part of a college degree is the way that you understand the world you live in, and to be a contributing member of society, you need to understand the world,\u201d says Sara Stout, assistant dean of student affairs at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Pursuing a degree takes time and money but if you\u2019re in it, finish it. One of the worst scenarios is dropping out of college and facing thousands in student loan debt without a degree to show for it. \u201cOur tours have tripled from last year to this year,\u201d Stout says. \u201c[Kids] are doing a lot more investigating and researching. They\u2019re figuring out what they are going to get for what they are investing.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-argument-against-a-college-degree\">The argument against a college degree<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":85802,\"width\":\"246px\",\"height\":\"auto\",\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\",\"align\":\"right\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Tristan-Anderson-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Tristan Anderson (second from right, with some UFC fighters)\" class=\"wp-image-85802\" style=\"width:246px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo courtesy of Tristan Anderson (second from right, with some UFC fighters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Things are changing dramatically within higher education. After decades of high favorability within most sectors of society, colleges and universities now face a diminishing reputation. Consider a recent Gallup poll: just 36% of Americans have a high level of confidence in higher education versus 57% 10 years ago. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/saving-for-college-2024\/\">cost of a four-year degree<\/a> is under more scrutiny, and in some ways, it\u2019s a buyer\u2019s market as colleges struggle to fill classrooms. Even so, the expenditure of both time and money might seem excessive to someone who doesn\u2019t feel that continued education will help them achieve their goals.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Tristan Anderson went off to community college while most of his friends set out for four-year universities. \u201cMy family [and I] believed it was in my best interest to continue at Orange Coast College, then transfer to a four-year college\u2026 to pursue an easy degree like anthropology,\u201d the 22-year-old says. But after his sophomore year, something clicked. \u201cI\u2026 realized I had no plans of getting a job with the anthropology degree I was working towards,\u201d Anderson continued. \u201cWith that, my drive to finish my college degree diminished completely.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>An avid photographer since middle school, Anderson realized his experience surpassed that of many of his peers. \u201cI have spoken with film and photography majors and have noticed that I have more knowledge and experience than the people who are going to school for it,\u201d he says. He says his sports photos recently caught the attention of the UFC, and he hopes to become a professional sports photographer and run his own business.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Alternative sources of education are vying for the attention and dollars of would-be students. Someone interested in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/women-in-trades\/\">trades<\/a> has a host of training options that can help them learn valuable skills and land a good job. Trade schools teach specific skills in automotive mechanics, cosmetology, culinary, nursing, graphic arts, plumbing and welding, to name a few. Industry-driven apprenticeship programs within private and public companies offer free training along with wages; they culminate in portable certifications and two- or four-year degrees.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":85803,\"width\":\"240px\",\"height\":\"auto\",\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\",\"align\":\"right\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Amanda-Monreal-768x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"Amanda Monreal (on the job at Marathon Petroleum Corporation in Long Beach, CA)\" class=\"wp-image-85803\" style=\"width:240px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo courtesy of Amanda Monreal (on the job at Marathon Petroleum Corporation in Long Beach, CA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Amanda Monreal received her automotive certification just before the 2008 housing crash. With almost zero jobs available, she pivoted to factory work as a laborer making wires and cabling. Soon, she saw an opening for a maintenance mechanic. \u201cI told [my boss] I had experience working in automotive and would [he] take a chance and let me try out working on machinery,\u201d Monreal recalls. \u201cMy boss said, \u2018You know, that sounds like a good idea; let\u2019s go ahead and do it.\u2019\u201d Monreal progressed very quickly, and in a few years moved on to electrical maintenance. Today, the 37-year-old is an electrical and instrumentation technician for a large energy company and makes a six-figure salary.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>People who bypass college and still find the career they want are those who study their fields and know what they want to do. Along with that, they should keep an eye on industries facing a shortage of trained workers. For example, a variety of factors have shrunk the pool of trained pilots, so most major airlines have dropped their requirement for a four-year degree, and at least one has its own aviation training program.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-is-a-college-degree-for-everyone\">Is a college degree for everyone?<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Perhaps the question of whether a college degree is right for you isn\u2019t the right question. \u201cI say college is something everyone should <em>consider<\/em> in the same way that everyone should consider enrolling in the U.S. armed forces and serving our country, in the same way they should consider pursuing an entrepreneurial idea,\u201d Lieber says. \u201cThis idea that something \u2018is for everyone\u2019 but some things are not for certain people\u2014I just don\u2019t buy it.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"fontSize\":\"small\"} -->\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><strong><em>Photo by EduLife Photos\/Shutterstock<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->","tag_names":[],"post_attachment_urls":["https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Tristan-Anderson-768x1024.jpg","https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Amanda-Monreal-768x1024.jpeg"],"author_email":"author+Erika-Kotite@success.com","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/96746"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85799"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85799\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}