With the rising cost of tuition, is a 4 yr degree still worth the cost?

bobcat

bobcat

Well-known Member
Location
Northern Calif
The question isn't whether a 4 yr degree is good to have, but is it worth the cost.
In 2013 the All American Economic Survey revealed that 53% said a degree was worth it and 40% said it was not. In 2017, the same survey showed that respondents were almost split with 49% saying it was worth it, and 47% said it wasn’t. Now in 2025, just 33% agree a four-year college degree is worth the cost, while 63% feel it isn't, mostly because people often graduate without specific job skills and with a large amount of debt to pay off.

Today the average cost of tuition at a 4 yr college is roughly $115,000, and that's before factoring in room and board. That means even if you can pay it off with zero interest at $500 a month, it would take you nearly 20 years. That's a huge gamble, especially in today's world when AI may be jeopardizing many of the jobs you may be hoping for. If parents are going to take on that debt, it may jeopardize their retirement, especially if they have more than one child.

An alternative may be a trade school with an average cost of $15,000 and you finish in less than half the time. The question though is whether the 4 yr college degree will be worth the extra $100,000. The cost seems to be growing faster than the potential to pay it back.
 

Imo, getting an education from a trade or similar type school would be the way to start. Later, go on for the second degree, if it would help or make you happy. The job market is changing so rapidly, whatever you do needs to not be replacable by ai.
 

If you are only looking at $ return on investment (I.e., ignoring details like college graduates tend to be happier and live longer), then I would guess there are some degrees that are financially worth it, especially if you can get them at a relatively cheap college.
For sure a not-in-demand degree at an expensive school would not be worth it financially. Well, unless you meet the most wonderful person there and maybe as a couple do well somehow.

I googled and found that college graduates live about 10 years longer, so that's pretty significant.
 
IMO it’s all about getting as much education and training as possible with little or no debt.

Attending a State school and stitching things together with grants, scholarships, and paid employment still works just like it did back in the 70s. If at all possible continue living at home to cut costs. Consider starting with transferable credits from an inexpensive community college.

There are many great opportunities for trades that pay solid six figure incomes and will be difficult to replace with technology.

Just stay away from borrowing living and tuition expenses to get the ‘college experience’ by attending an Ivy League school for a degree in political science or romance languages.

Most importantly don’t take a gap year or work for a year or two before going on to a higher form of training/education. I can almost guarantee that life will get in the way of your plans and good intentions.
 
It all depends on what you want to do.

If you want to work in the healthcare industry -- which is the largest employer in the U.S., you'll need a degree -- anything from an associates degree in nursing to a doctorate. And there are all sorts of related industries -- most of which require a college degree. And generally, the more advanced degree you have, the more you earn.

A degree in engineering is a bit more risky since AI is taking many of those jobs. Same with occupations such as accounting. Engineers and accountants who are also AI specialists will be in demand, but one AI specialist can replace 20 professionals, so those jobs will be highly competitive.

I would think that researchers would be in demand because they would provide data that could be used by AI to do the grunt work. AI could write the reports and articles using that data, and even teach the material. The human teacher may become an anachronism. Same with newscasters. Reporters will still be needed, although they'll use AI to write articles.

Going to college just for the experience is essentially a thing of the past since you can learn anything you want using online material and taking online classes, which is a shame in some respects because online, you lose the social aspect of the college or university campus.
 
When I was in the US, a college degree was a prerequisite for just about every job I'd wanted to have. They didn't seem too bothered what the degree was in, they just wanted candidates who had experienced advanced education. Not sure if it's that way today.

That said, yes, a college education (a degree) is very important, imo. Too often it is assumed that college is a bunch of woke hippies smoking pot, having parties, and enjoying lots of coupling. But that's not really how it is in my experience.

I spent time at the University of Virginia, and it was a great place. The people I knew were serious about their education, and it was a great place for learning. As a younger person, you learn a lot about yourself at such places, as people become individuals and develop their own preferences and likes and dislikes. It's part of the maturation process. And yes, have some good times too.

I see a lot of talk today about jobs as they relate to degrees - as in "I have a degree and still can't find a job." I don't fully understand this. Firstly, the eco9nomy isn't good right now. 1000's of people are being laid off, so finding a role will be difficult no matter who you are. Secondly, having a degree in a subject isn't an automatic offer for a job. Getting employed is additional work. Some people act as though they expect to be given a job just because they graduated.

Add in some of the degrees people go for, things with nebulous benefits, and you have a situation where yes, the paper is meaningless. I know, for my college education, that my career ended up being in a different field entirely. I had a lot of studying to do after college. Nothing was automatic.

So yeah, I think a college education is a great thing. The main problem are the loans, which can come with some predatory terms.
 
If I was interested in learning a trade I'd head right to the job site and get a job as a helper w a skilled tradesman. Save the tuition, earn a salary, and prove yourself as a worthy employee 2 years before those in trade school have ever turned a wrench for pay.
Aunt Bea said:
Just stay away from borrowing living and tuition expenses to get the ‘college experience’ by attending an Ivy League school for a degree in political science or romance languages.
Click to expand...
For some attending an Ivy League school is a huge opportunity to dramatically change the course of their lives and it doesn't even matter what major they choose.
 
I was just talking about this the other day. Some find it is not. My grandson, who was on the Dean's List, President's List and was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, has not been able to find a good paying job. Some employers told him he was "over qualified". I've heard and read about others with the same issues. I hope my granddaughter, who's been a high honor student since grade school and is also on the Dean's List, finds her degree pays off. She's going for her Masters immediately after finishing her 4 years. I'm paying a good portion of her tuition, so besides praying she experiences the best of success after graduation, I'm literally invested in her doing well.
 
Well certainly not for we retired seniors, nor for that matter are any college degrees. So the thread is really about how we seniors vaguely see the younger generations dealing with employment issues, given our past experiences with considerable lack of subject interest from most of us beyond reading terse news headlines and stories.
 
I think college in invaluable for more than income. For me it changed my worldviews from religion, ethics, philosophy, and more, so from that standpoint, I wouldn't question the decision. However, what this thread really boils down to is ROI. From what I read, a degree from a state college is about one third the cost of a university, and the salary comparison is very similar, making the ROI better for state college.

There is also the possibility of getting an online degree. From what I can dig up, this has gained more widespread acceptance from employers with about 87% being fine with it, as long as the college is well known and reputable. The importance is on the education, not how it was accomplished. This can work for fields where more hands-on courses aren't really necessary. There are even some employers who will pay for the tuition and books, if your goal is advancement in the company to executive levels that may require a degree.

The landscape has changed from the time we attended college. For one, tuition has far outpaced inflation, and back then a degree carried a certain prestige, where now it's expected. Then there is the rise of AI and robotics that seems destined to shake up society and employment. Knowing whether the benefit will justify the cost has become a lot less certain.

As for trade schools, they seem to be preferred by employers when the job requires licensing or technical certification (electricians, dental hygienists, mechanics). This works when employers need to find workers with hands-on training rather than theory. Trade school grads enter the workforce faster and with less debt. However, when more broad academic knowledge is preferred, the college degree would be the better choice. JMO
 

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