As my children progress through the K-12 educational system, my wife and I have grappled with whether or not we should encourage them to go to college. We are both college graduates, but we are concerned about the soaring costs of higher education, the diminishing value of degrees, and institutions that seem to be bending to radical ideologies. In today’s job market, many positions no longer require a four-year degree, and online learning platforms offer high-quality educational resources at a low cost. This allows anyone to create a custom portfolio in almost any field without accumulating six-figure debt.
So, we posed the question: Should our children prioritize obtaining a college degree, or would we be the generation that didn’t actively push our kids to go to college.
There are many ways in which future generations can be academically proficient and engaged citizens without the need for an expensive credential. Experience and consequence serve as powerful teachers.
American high schools have become pipelines for college, with degrees being bought at a premium price. Students become commodities in a financial game that negotiates their financial aid packages far beyond their comprehension, while simultaneously becoming enslaved to the burden of debt as they borrow more to stay afloat in an inflated economy.
While high school administrators and guidance counselors are well-intentioned, their lack of vocational creativity often leads them to exclusively promote the bachelor’s degree track. As a result, trade schools, homemaking, and freelancing careers are largely overlooked. This pressure is especially felt by young women, who are often steered towards so-called “pink collar” fields like teaching, social work, or psychology that typically require multiple degrees and specialized credentials. Women may delay family creation in pursuit of these degrees and validation, only to be met with relatively low salaries and significant student debt burdens.
I have one daughter who wishes to become a teacher and another who aspires to be a gymnastics coach. I’ve advised them that they can achieve anything in life, but not all at once. They need to make sequential, character-building decisions guided by their core principles. I’ve encouraged my daughters to ignore the cacophony of voices promoting the “girl boss” and aspire for more than just validation through higher education. I believe that my daughters will be better equipped to handle life’s challenges if they are not pressured to follow the crowd blindly into college but instead seek vocations that complement their lifestyle choices, including marriage and motherhood.
Some of my most rewarding work in my younger years was as an electrician’s apprentice. There is no greater satisfaction than seeing the blueprints come to life as a newly constructed home is powered up for the first time. While professional tradesmen may study hard for their certifications, it is the hands-on training where the most valuable lessons are learned and rewarded.
This is not meant to disparage those who have or desire college degrees. I believe that highly trained professionals, such as doctors, are necessary, and university campuses can serve as important laboratories for scientific study, scholarly collaboration, and specialized learning. However, we must reevaluate our society’s fixation on college-above-all as the primary measure of success. Are we pushing our children to mortgage their futures based on our nostalgia for the past? Will the ever-growing list of marginal degrees truly benefit future generations? Is obtaining a degree by walking across the stage after four years the only path to being considered successful.
Let us encourage our young people to pursue education and their passions, with a college degree being a secondary consideration if it aligns with their goals. By shifting our focus from college as the ultimate achievement, we can help guide our children towards fulfilling careers that complement their lifestyle choices, including family life. This shift may lead to more satisfaction, financial stability, and personal growth for future generations as they navigate the complexities of adult life.