I wonder how much of this is down to AI? Maybe not much yet. Concerns about it and employment have only started going mainstream in the 2020s. That suggests there is more decline ahead for people’s regard for the worth of college education.
It’s striking how much opinions differ according to politics. 39% of Republicans rate college as “Not too important”, versus 9% of Democrats who feel the same way. The article wonders if the perceived left-wing bias of colleges is to blame. But if right-wing people desert colleges, won’t that just make them more left-wing? The student body certainly will be, and that’s where the future staff members come from.
It’s the cost. College is almost always worth it even if you don’t use the degree because education itself is always worth it (with the exception being scam colleges). It improves critical thinking, puts you in contact to people different from you, often gives more global perspective, etc.
But is it worth the current price? To the individual, probably not. It’s worth it to the society that educates the person, that’s why we used to subsidize education heavily and not rely on loans. Given the net gain to society, it should be free like k-12, although we don’t fund that enough either. It’s almost like universal education and capitalism are incompatable, eh?
But did you consider that educated youths scared the government? Didn’t even think of that, did you? That’s cause you’re a citizen-centered freak. Society needs uneducated masses so that
me and my friends can make more money than Godwe don’t lose our American way of life. It’s all to stop those damncommieshippiesblacksgaysterrorists!/s
In Europe, where college is almost free (details depend, there are still private colleges), the trend is towards considering college education more and more important, and more and more entry level jobs require at least a bachelor degree in vaguely related fields.
So, yeah, cost is such an important element!
It’s part of a greater shift in politics - the Democrats abandoning the working class to pick up upper-middle-class professionals and managers.
The Democrat had to study hard to get rich. The Republican just had to inherit his daddy’s car dealership. Working people are left out of the equation altogether.
Colleges ruined their reputation with price gouging.
Don’t go to college unless your are rich and/or you know what you are doing
Starting your life with 40k of debt and 20 per hour “career” will crush you.
I’m not sure where you’re referencing but it’s not price gouging, it’s a lack of subsidies in most nations. For instance, US government used to pay the vast majority of college costs (at least for public colleges, which are the majority). That responsibility was handed over to private interests as loans.
You don’t understand what you are talking about.
Do some basic research on us university budgets, bloat and historical price increases between 1990 and 2020.
Check compensation of admins and student loans ;)
I have several friends in college debt that never used their degree. I know another doing legal work with their law master’s degree… They won’t be out of debt until their late forties. Learning is important, college, at least in the U.S. is too expensive. K-12 is important. Trade school is important. Learning how to read and think criticially is important. College not as much.
I’ll caveat: college is important, though not necessarily based on classes. For me, it was the first time I experienced other people from a vast array of cultures, both domestic and abroad. It helped shape me into the person I am today, and it’s a much better person than I would’ve been should I have stayed in my podunk town.
Is that worth the cost? Hell no. That we have to go into decades of debt to earn a piece of paper is stupid. Was it worth me growing as a human being? Absolutely. I never would take that back.
A caveat to my caveat lol: this isn’t saying that my experience means it’s that way for all, but that it really was formative for me. Others may experience that same thing in trade schools. I just think the immersion was much more in depth for me 🙂
Also, if you’re reasonably smart and self-motivated the 21st century world abounds with the materials to let you learn much of what you would in college. Not specialized learning maybe, but for generalized learning, yes.
