Is a college education worth the cost?

[JohnL]

NO POLITICS THREAD
Several articles popped up from different news sources citing the same poll (probably from the same AP pot of articles-journalism suffers from copycat nepotism these days). The poll said that 63% of Americans don’t think a college education is worth the cost.
Do you think college is worth it?
(Remember no politics please)

[QuietlyListening]

It depends on how you approach it and for what reasons. Many in our area go to the local community college for 2 years to get the basics then move on and if you look around you can find schools that are not as expensive. Also look for scholarships and/or work studies. Also more and more opportunities are out there to use online schools so you can fit it into your work schedule and live at home also.

Also why are you going? Just for the experience? Do you have a path of education in mind?

All of my children were able to go to school without incurring much debt- actually the only one who incurred debt was my youngest who went to vet school and she chose the 'state' school so expenses were much lower and when she started working lived with her sister so her expenses at home were lower and paid off her debt in less than 5 years.

So there are many factors, many reasons for a college education and so it can be worth the cost. But in my opinion you must be intentional and careful and choose wisely.

[JohnH]

Nobody* in our church goes to college, and amongst the Amish they don’t either. Yet we and they seem to have zero trouble finding jobs and running businesses that make plenty of money.

*Less than 1%, before some pedant insists “nobody” means no person has ever.

[Ernie]

63% don't think college is worth the cost.

49% say it’s less important to have a four-year college degree today in order to get a well-paying job than it was 20 years ago.
Only 22% say the cost of getting a four-year college degree today is worth it even if someone has to take out loans.
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-tren ... orth-it-2/

More than a third of all graduates now say their degree was a “waste of money,” according to a new survey by Indeed. This frustration is especially pronounced among Gen Z, with 51% expressing remorse—compared to 41% of millennials and just 20% of baby boomers.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/nearly-half- ... 27150.html

The percentage of Americans saying college is "very important" has fallen to 35%.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/695003/per ... w-low.aspx

The drastic drops in confidence over the last 10-15 years is amazing.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/maga ... =url-share

Meanwhile, Penn State is planning to add another 1500 beds / Residence Halls due to increased enrollment. So there are still plenty of clients buying into the advertising that college will make you better off financially.

[Bootstrap]

I think this is a little like asking "should everyone be an auto mechanic"? Obviously, the answer is no. But for the right people, it can be exactly the right choice.

Currently, most colleges are way too expensive. But some are not. Some are even tuition-free, and set up to allow people to graduate without debt. In general, I think the American college system has become extremely expensive, and most of that is not the cost of actually teaching students. Increasingly, people are experimenting with alternative approaches to education.

Suppose you are called to a ministry where a solid understanding of Hebrew, Greek, and field linguistics is really helpful. College might be really helpful. Suppose you want to work 40 hours at a job that is not terribly demanding. College might not be very helpful.

But a good college education does teach skills that are harder to find in other ways, especially in graduate school. Graduate school is an intense environment that requires reasoning, research, communication, and critical thinking skills in a community of learning. Some people do manage to acquire these skills without college. I think we will see more and more ways to acquire these skills even without formal college, because there is a lot of demand for that.

What concerns me today is that many people mistake confidence or arrogance for expertise. Contempt for education is not a source of wisdom. And without grounding in those skills, people often don’t realize the limits of what they don’t know. They probably know other things better than someone who does have a college education. This is not something the Body of Christ needs to divide over, there are many parts in the body.

So the question isn’t simply, “Is college worth it?” A better question is, “Given who you are, what you’re called to, and the path you want to take, which kind of education will best help you grow?” It may not be a college education. But it might. Most things in life require prayerful discernment.

[ohio jones]

NO POLITICS THREAD
Several articles popped up from different news sources citing the same poll (probably from the same AP pot of articles-journalism suffers from copycat nepotism these days). The poll said that 63% of Americans don’t think a college education is worth the cost.
Do you think college is worth it?
(Remember no politics please)

Here's the poll (NBC, not AP):
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politi ... rcna243672

As a retired college administrator, what is your perspective on this?

[Bootstrap]

NO POLITICS THREAD
Several articles popped up from different news sources citing the same poll (probably from the same AP pot of articles-journalism suffers from copycat nepotism these days). The poll said that 63% of Americans don’t think a college education is worth the cost.
Do you think college is worth it?
(Remember no politics please)

Here's the poll (NBC, not AP):
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politi ... rcna243672

As a retired college administrator, what is your perspective on this?

JohnL is a retired college administrator? Fascinating ...

[JohnL]

NO POLITICS THREAD
Several articles popped up from different news sources citing the same poll (probably from the same AP pot of articles-journalism suffers from copycat nepotism these days). The poll said that 63% of Americans don’t think a college education is worth the cost.
Do you think college is worth it?
(Remember no politics please)

Here's the poll (NBC, not AP):
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politi ... rcna243672

As a retired college administrator, what is your perspective on this?

I don't think college is for everyone. I've seen tech school grads make a better living and be a lot more useful too than PhDs. My favorite car guy just sent his daughter to a very expensive private college to be a science teacher. She never had to take out a college loan either. In my world making a good living doesn't depend on status degrees. It depends on honesty, integrity and common sense.

[Bootstrap]

I don't think college is for everyone. I've seen tech school grads make a better living and be a lot more useful too than PhDs. My favorite car guy just sent his daughter to a very expensive private college to be a science teacher. She never had to take out a college loan either. In my world making a good living doesn't depend on status degrees. It depends on honesty, integrity and common sense.

And perhaps on having a marketable skill if you want to make a "good living" - I assume that means earning more than minimum wage or what they pay unskilled labor in your particular area.

But lots of marketable skills do not require a college education.

[Ernie]

NO POLITICS THREAD
Several articles popped up from different news sources citing the same poll (probably from the same AP pot of articles-journalism suffers from copycat nepotism these days). The poll said that 63% of Americans don’t think a college education is worth the cost.
Do you think college is worth it?
(Remember no politics please)

As a retired college administrator, what is your perspective on this?

Which college were you administrator at, JohnL?