“Focus groups and public opinion surveys point to other, less easily solved reasons for the sharp downward trend. These include widespread and fast-growing skepticism about the value of a degree, impatience with the time it takes to get one, and costs that have finally exceeded many people’s ability or willingness to pay.”
Why does it need to be solved? Maybe it’s just a natural progression to what makes the most sense for many burgeoning adults.
I personally think the driving force behind most individuals going to college is to get a better job. Not everyone has the means or desire to spend another four years in school just for the sake of “enrichment”.
Is it worth it? That depends greatly on one’s goals. Perhaps potential students are waking up to spending upwards of six figures to get a degree and have job prospects that will only earn them less than half of that in salary without much upward mobility. There are certainly degree paths that are necessary to reach a certain career path and are “worth it”. They have a high return on investment. Just like investing a chunk of money in the stock market to gain financially, people tend to try and make smart investments. Perhaps many are seeing college as less of a smart investment.
There are a plethora of other opportunities for those not going to college. Obviously not everyone will take advantage of those opportunities but many will and many will do good enough or even just as well or better than those attending college. There are paths besides college that can lead to satisfying, good paying, rewarding careers.
The military can be a great option that opens up a world of job opportunities and generally provides an individual with the needed experience and qualifications to attain a comparable civilian career afterwards. Many employees highly desire individuals with prior military experience.
The trades are another option. There are so many openings in the trades now partially because many had been skipping those opportunities and attending college instead. The trades were seen as somehow not good enough, that is changing I believe. Perhaps there is, will now be, a shift back to many of those high paying jobs that were overlooked. These jobs can be obtained without a college degree. There are multiple paths that can be taken such as a trade school, an apprenticeship or even just on the job training. I think many are smartly choosing to look into these career opportunities.
Many good jobs can be obtained with certifications or other training. I’m sure some potential students are taking advantage of those sometimes quick paths to some good jobs, why wouldn’t they? A couple courses in computer programming, networking, CAD, phlebotomy, 3d printing, etc and they can get an entry level position with plenty of upward mobility and a potential high salary. It can be a quick, low cost way to enter similar fields as an individual with a college degree. The opportunities are there.
The cost is certainly a factor. The amount of time is another. The need for a college degree has been pushed hard for decades. Perhaps it was oversold to a portion of the population and now we’re seeing the pendulum swing the other way.
I certainly wanted my kids to attend college. One of them is halfway to an engineering degree with great job prospects. A degree is absolutely necessary for him to attain his goals. The other might take a completely different path. Luckily there are many paths available that can lead to success. Perhaps.more potential students are choosing to take these alternative paths for now.
The problem is, that a college degree may not confer the benefits once expected, but the lack of a college degree still causes problems. So the degree is not as much of a plus, but the lack of one remains a negative.
That seems to be changing as companies eliminate the degree requirement from their job listings. Tech already has done so for many jobs, focusing on skills instead. Pilots soon will no longer need degrees, just relevant training and skills.
There seems to be a substantial mismatch between the skills sought by employers and those acquired in some college degrees.
The point is more training is needed after high school whether you call it a degree or not.
You are right. I was surprised to see many job postings that say “college degree or equivalent experience.” I actually think someone could volunteer for a few years and apply for some jobs. Volunteering means no income but cheaper than college!
I do think things are changing but not having the degree is still a negative. Having a degree from a “prestigious” school is more desirable when so many go to college.
I hope more attention and funding goes to other paths.
It is nice to see at least some employers, like airlines, are now willing to provide the training required. I remember when hospitals trained nurses, rather than colleges. Perhaps as labor shortages continue we will see more non-college options grow in popularity.
Definitely agree that the trades and the military are great options. Unfortunately in the suburban area in which I lived until recently people rarely considered those choices. I can think of a few students I knew who headed off to college although they really had little interest. Both flunked out but one later joined the military and one went into a trade. They are both quite successful now. It’s just unfortunate that they felt pressured into "trying " college which was not a good path for them.
But note that this does not mean hiring uneducated (beyond high school) people – it means hiring self-educated (in the relevant areas) people. In many complex subjects, self-education is significantly more difficult than education in school, so it is those with the highest ability and motivation in the subject who are capable of doing it.
But also, even if some employers reverse credential creep, other employers and professions are still pushing credential creep upward.
It is unfortunate that it seems that many people’s decisions about whether or not to go to college are based on things other than whether going to college is a good fit for them and their goals. Parental expectations to go to college (as described above) or not go to college may not match whether college is a good fit for the kid and the kid’s goals. The cost of college can also be an issue (mostly in the limiting sense).
My daughter said she doesn’t regret her college degree (maybe since she doesn’t have many college loans?) but a lot of her friends say they wish they hadn’t gone to college. The debt isn’t worth it. You know this will color their opinion when their kids are deciding what to do after high school.
I noticed the federal government was recently hiring air traffic controllers-3 years general work experience in lieu of college degree accepted with median pay of $138k.
Boo you have to be under 30 to apply. I seriously would love to do this after I “retire” at 55 but still have to work. My original plan - before the article on the retirement thread lol - was to work at the airport in our new city. I love airports and would do most anything except maybe some custodial work… though I might do that too…
My neighbor told me his company just wants anyone that has a 4 year degree. They will teach them the rest. So I asked why a degree. He told me so they know they can read and write at a certain level. They tried hiring non 4 year degree people and he said it was a disaster. So there’s is that…
Seems like the kind of job that kid on the couch playing fast-action video games may want to try for…
Perhaps they should put out a free air traffic control video game and require a high enough score on that video game as a prerequisite to applying for the job.
I think they are testing for other things. …
Pretty sure air traffic controllers need to be methodical, detail oriented, risk-averse and not impulsive; sort of the opposite of video-game skills. I do believe military fighter pilots have benefited from playing some video games, though.
Perhaps students/families are getting smarter about doing their research before committing to burdensome student loans?
Our nephew has no college. However, he is in an apprenticeship for elevator repair. When he is finished he will be making 100000+.
Was just looking at elevator repair apprenticeship this morning! Who knew it was in such demand and well paying?
Imagine playing Tetris for hours, except that:
- It is three dimensional.
- Multiple objects appear and move at the same time.
- The objects can change speed and direction, and may be doing so by themselves (e.g. while taking off or landing).
- You give the objects directions by voice, and implementation of such directions is not instantaneous.
- The objects may give relevant information to you by voice (e.g. need priority landing due to medical emergency on board).