Is a College Degree Really Worth the Cost?

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I think college is worth the time and cost for technical degrees such as any
Engineering and robotic program of study. Medical degrees and other medical
studies also in high demand. Degrees in Humanities, history, Arts, Political
Science are virtually worthless in todays job market and not worth the time
and cost to get one of these degrees.

roy lain of NH 12:08AM August 06, 2011

I have always thought about going back to school to get my degree.
I am a high school educated man who has spent the past 20 years in the workplace to earn my substantial salary. But it came with a cost, as well.
As I explain to my 14 year old son - Everything in life "costs" something whether it be time, money, emotions, energy, etc... For me, my lazy attitude about learning and disdain for school, cost me ten years of hard sacrifice to LEARN what others in my position learned in college earning degrees.
As such, I have spent 15 years doing WHAT I HAD TO DO to get ahead and get to where I am; while my friends went to college, studied hard for 4, 6, even 8 years -- to DO WHAT THEY WANTED to do.
I can't say I chose poorly... I love my life and my career. However, many conversations have gotten awkward when people put more value on the 25 year-old with a 4 year degree, than the 40 year-old with ten years of work experience.
If you weigh success by the size of your wallet, I am much more successful than many PhD's who are dear friends of mine (who's opinions I value more than my own).
However, if success is measured by the time and energy one has put forth in perfecting his or her craft and uses his or her knowledge of that ability to better the world and others around them... Whether they get that degree from the local community college, Harvard, or University of Life... There's more value in that than anything else.

Tyler H. of CA 4:09PM May 31, 2011

You don't need a college degree to be successful if you're willing to put in the work to make up for it. But there's the rub..
People with degrees can work 40 hours/week and enjoy a life outside of what they do. Non-degreed peoples have to compensate for their lack of value on paper to get the same success. But if you're going to work nights and weekends anyways, because that's how your wired, you don't need a degree to be successful and it probably just gets in the way for most fields.
That's me, I love what I do and I dropped out of school, and went from $30K > $100K in four and a half years doing software engineering (switching companies at one point to get around a glass ceiling). But that's pretty much all I've done during that time too, no serious relationships/hobbies/etc... Just work and I love it :D
Most people I meet aren't like that, though, so if you do want a life outside of work I would definetly would recommend attending school.

Richard of WA 4:46AM September 07, 2010

I went to a small private college ($32k/year) then transferred to a state university ($18k/year). In both cases, I had to work close to 60 hours/week at two jobs in order to pay for my education, because I did not qualify for loans, and had nobody to cosign with me. In the end, working 60 hours proved to be too much for me, and I ultimately quit school 2 1/2 years in. I feel that it was the best decision I have ever made. I'm now 6 years out of my high school graduation, and making a six-figure income, while many are still finishing their 4-year degrees. I no longer have any student loan debt, and have nearly $40k cash in the bank & short-term investments, and another $25k in long-term investments. I can honestly say that the only thing I owe my success to is hard work & determination. I used to believe that the government should help out those who are not well off, but I now am a firm believer that we each control our own destiny. I have achieved my goals simply by putting in a great bit of effort & thinking outside the box. I will be a millionaire in net worth by the age of 27 and in liquid assets by age 30. I owe NONE of that to my college career, and all of it to my own sense of self worth & perseverance.

Michael of MA 12:50AM September 07, 2010

Unless your a CEO of a company your wil not have financial independence. Most of the people that have changed their lives or change history have come from the entrepreneurship mind. So, school is not for everyone. I don't have a college degree, but I've done great in my life.

Melvin of NY 10:23PM September 06, 2010

While i regret not going to college. It hasnt stopped me and a few people I know from doing Ok. I have been in California Real Estate for a few years, back in the early to mid 2000's before everything fell apart, I made $500k a year for 3 years straight. I'm now making around 70K a year but don't work to hard, ( 20-25 hours a week ) and usually have quite alot of spare time. If you spend several years gaining strong experience in a certain field and are well polished that can help a lot in bridging the income gap.
A relative who arrived from the Middle East in the early 80's didn't even have the benefit of knowing the language and was semi literate started out bagging groceries in bakersfield and now owns a small supermarket chain on the central coast.
Educated or not America is still the land of opportunity if you're a hustler.

Samo of CA 9:59PM September 06, 2010

I believe that it's the person not the degee. Go to school get good grades and get a safe and secure job with benifits. Who has heard this before? Read "Rich Dad Poor Dad" and you'll see why that's not working in todays world. We're now in the information age where old ideas in the industrial age have been washed out. Why are all the schools training us to become employees? Or training us to do exactly what the smartest guys in the world didn't do? Think about it.

kevin baker of KS 5:59PM September 06, 2010

I am a late college graduate. Prior to college--nursing school, I could only make a little over minimum wage. I have been a RN for 12 years and have more than quadrupled my income!!! Yes, college is worth it! But you must choose a major that has work available and room to grow. Any of the allied health sciences are always a good bet, and they are very interesting and rewarding.

SPA of PA 3:36PM September 06, 2010

well....???? nationally, regionally accreditied,on campus off campus, competition, experience, school's that have offer'd the program for a hundred plus years other school's that offer the same program but only for 35 years, school's that take people's money and knowing the student wont last past the 3rd year,loans, instructures that dont care, instuctures that really do care commited students none commited students, public, or private schools which is better...& my favorite, earning my degree and ending up working next to a guy that dropped out of the same program i graduated from and he earn'd more; well at least when i first start'd, who u know vs what u know....is a degree really better,well im the oldest of seven & the only one with a degree, & the only one that lives in the suburbs but im from the inner city, so i understand the value of higher education, bill gates, don king, people with drive, attitude,ideas are the acceptions,with commitement, heart & a desire to succeed, one cant fail & add a degree to there resume, how can they fail, if im employing someone & there about equal & one has a degree & the other doesnt, the choice is easy, BUT there are so many variables that have to be taken into account...but u cant go wrong with a degree & drive, u cant be denied if u want it bad enough !!!

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