NBC News Poll: dramatic shift, Americans no longer see 4-year college degrees as worth the cost

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you, talentless Americans.

- H1B import

You have to go back.

Not happening with TACO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like a MAGA talking point.

MAGA elite is against college for others while they send their own kids to elite schools and attended elite schools themselves…

Examples
Hannity
Stephen Miller
Barron Trump
Tiff Trump
Don Jr
Ivanka
Vance
Vance’s wife
Josh Hawley

I’ll be paying for the four-year degrees, thanks.

Exactly. It's part of the Republican's plan to dumb down America. They can't win if voters are educated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmmmm. A $120,000 Gender Studies degree or IBEW Local 26?

Easy choice.

Except, the kid doing IBEW Local 26 is deciding between that and likely a business or engineering or other practical degree...and anyone getting a Gender Studies degree is not anyone who is likely cut out for IBEW Local 26.

I’d hope that potential business and engineering majors would grasp both the threat of AI, and the delta between college debt over 4 years vs. 4 years of decent income.

If you had a 2022 high school graduate would you rather they went to college for engineering, or joined the electrical union? Next year is stacking up to be the worst year for college graduates since COVID. Couple that with the AI headwind and the electrician will be several steps ahead.

While I know what you are kind of saying...the reality is that my kid already has an offer in CS for $200k plus bonus and options (and ability to work for the company at the same hourly rate during the school year) at an AI company, while his HS friend is doing an electrician apprenticeship in DC for $52k year. His friend is a great "hands on" kind of kid who had terrible grades in school and would likely flunk out of college (but was smart enough to realize that college is not for him).

It's a great outcome for his buddy...and perhaps his buddy will have more stable long-term employment...but my kid has zero debt and is fairly optimistic about his own prospects...so maybe I can report back in 10 years how both have fared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmmmm. A $120,000 Gender Studies degree or IBEW Local 26?

Easy choice.

Except, the kid doing IBEW Local 26 is deciding between that and likely a business or engineering or other practical degree...and anyone getting a Gender Studies degree is not anyone who is likely cut out for IBEW Local 26.

I’d hope that potential business and engineering majors would grasp both the threat of AI, and the delta between college debt over 4 years vs. 4 years of decent income.

If you had a 2022 high school graduate would you rather they went to college for engineering, or joined the electrical union? Next year is stacking up to be the worst year for college graduates since COVID. Couple that with the AI headwind and the electrician will be several steps ahead.

While I know what you are kind of saying...the reality is that my kid already has an offer in CS for $200k plus bonus and options (and ability to work for the company at the same hourly rate during the school year) at an AI company, while his HS friend is doing an electrician apprenticeship in DC for $52k year. His friend is a great "hands on" kind of kid who had terrible grades in school and would likely flunk out of college (but was smart enough to realize that college is not for him).

It's a great outcome for his buddy...and perhaps his buddy will have more stable long-term employment...but my kid has zero debt and is fairly optimistic about his own prospects...so maybe I can report back in 10 years how both have fared.

What a coincidence. A parent with a STEM grad the very same year as the example who already has a unicorn job offer AND a low paid electrician friend that shares his salary. Thanks for letting us all know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmmmm. A $120,000 Gender Studies degree or IBEW Local 26?

Easy choice.

Except, the kid doing IBEW Local 26 is deciding between that and likely a business or engineering or other practical degree...and anyone getting a Gender Studies degree is not anyone who is likely cut out for IBEW Local 26.

I’d hope that potential business and engineering majors would grasp both the threat of AI, and the delta between college debt over 4 years vs. 4 years of decent income.

If you had a 2022 high school graduate would you rather they went to college for engineering, or joined the electrical union? Next year is stacking up to be the worst year for college graduates since COVID. Couple that with the AI headwind and the electrician will be several steps ahead.

While I know what you are kind of saying...the reality is that my kid already has an offer in CS for $200k plus bonus and options (and ability to work for the company at the same hourly rate during the school year) at an AI company, while his HS friend is doing an electrician apprenticeship in DC for $52k year. His friend is a great "hands on" kind of kid who had terrible grades in school and would likely flunk out of college (but was smart enough to realize that college is not for him).

It's a great outcome for his buddy...and perhaps his buddy will have more stable long-term employment...but my kid has zero debt and is fairly optimistic about his own prospects...so maybe I can report back in 10 years how both have fared.

What a coincidence. A parent with a STEM grad the very same year as the example who already has a unicorn job offer AND a low paid electrician friend that shares his salary. Thanks for letting us all know.

It's not low-paid...it's what apprentices make to start and he will see raises once he completes his apprenticeship and becomes a fully-certified union electrician (this is his 2nd year BTW). Obviously, neither he or parents will incur college costs.

Also, they are HS friends...so of course it's the same year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmmmm. A $120,000 Gender Studies degree or IBEW Local 26?

Easy choice.

Except, the kid doing IBEW Local 26 is deciding between that and likely a business or engineering or other practical degree...and anyone getting a Gender Studies degree is not anyone who is likely cut out for IBEW Local 26.

I’d hope that potential business and engineering majors would grasp both the threat of AI, and the delta between college debt over 4 years vs. 4 years of decent income.

If you had a 2022 high school graduate would you rather they went to college for engineering, or joined the electrical union? Next year is stacking up to be the worst year for college graduates since COVID. Couple that with the AI headwind and the electrician will be several steps ahead.

While I know what you are kind of saying...the reality is that my kid already has an offer in CS for $200k plus bonus and options (and ability to work for the company at the same hourly rate during the school year) at an AI company, while his HS friend is doing an electrician apprenticeship in DC for $52k year. His friend is a great "hands on" kind of kid who had terrible grades in school and would likely flunk out of college (but was smart enough to realize that college is not for him).

It's a great outcome for his buddy...and perhaps his buddy will have more stable long-term employment...but my kid has zero debt and is fairly optimistic about his own prospects...so maybe I can report back in 10 years how both have fared.

What a coincidence. A parent with a STEM grad the very same year as the example who already has a unicorn job offer AND a low paid electrician friend that shares his salary. Thanks for letting us all know.

It's not low-paid...it's what apprentices make to start and he will see raises once he completes his apprenticeship and becomes a fully-certified union electrician (this is his 2nd year BTW). Obviously, neither he or parents will incur college costs.

Also, they are HS friends...so of course it's the same year.

+1, people around here call certain CS or finance salaries “unicorn” but then act shocked when they see that the actual electrician/plumber/mechanic salaries are not the $220k ones they heard about in a story once.

[Anonymous]

In capitalism few things are worth full pay but most people never figure that out. Those that do figure it out end up being financially "successful" regardless of education level.

[Anonymous]

Project 2025 women are no longer going to be educated.

Go on now and spend that college monies unless you are in the 1% of this country your DD are not going to college after 2028 if Republicans stay in power.

Don't beleive me Peter Theil and Russel Vought have plans for breeding no education.

MAGA will be out of the college game by 2028 as no jobs means no monies for college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmmmm. A $120,000 Gender Studies degree or IBEW Local 26?

Easy choice.

Except, the kid doing IBEW Local 26 is deciding between that and likely a business or engineering or other practical degree...and anyone getting a Gender Studies degree is not anyone who is likely cut out for IBEW Local 26.

I’d hope that potential business and engineering majors would grasp both the threat of AI, and the delta between college debt over 4 years vs. 4 years of decent income.

If you had a 2022 high school graduate would you rather they went to college for engineering, or joined the electrical union? Next year is stacking up to be the worst year for college graduates since COVID. Couple that with the AI headwind and the electrician will be several steps ahead.

While I know what you are kind of saying...the reality is that my kid already has an offer in CS for $200k plus bonus and options (and ability to work for the company at the same hourly rate during the school year) at an AI company, while his HS friend is doing an electrician apprenticeship in DC for $52k year. His friend is a great "hands on" kind of kid who had terrible grades in school and would likely flunk out of college (but was smart enough to realize that college is not for him).

It's a great outcome for his buddy...and perhaps his buddy will have more stable long-term employment...but my kid has zero debt and is fairly optimistic about his own prospects...so maybe I can report back in 10 years how both have fared.

What a coincidence. A parent with a STEM grad the very same year as the example who already has a unicorn job offer AND a low paid electrician friend that shares his salary. Thanks for letting us all know.

It's not low-paid...it's what apprentices make to start and he will see raises once he completes his apprenticeship and becomes a fully-certified union electrician (this is his 2nd year BTW). Obviously, neither he or parents will incur college costs.

Also, they are HS friends...so of course it's the same year.

+1, people around here call certain CS or finance salaries “unicorn” but then act shocked when they see that the actual electrician/plumber/mechanic salaries are not the $220k ones they heard about in a story once.

And what makes you think the pp isn't pulling that "AI salary" out of their ass? Everything here is made up unicorn land without proof.

[Anonymous]

Agree, not a good ROI, but still going to send my DC's to college because it's fun, it's a good way/place to mature into an adult, learning is fun, having lots of friends nearby your age is fun, and exposure to ideas/classes/subject/clubs to help them find themselves.

Yes, I've worked hard in my life and been fortunate and now I can afford to send my kids to college for the above reasons. And they will learn something useful, I'm sure.

[Anonymous]

My kids are going to college. They’re looking forward to it. But if they want to go to a trade school instead of grad school? That would be fine with us. Those things aren’t mutually exclusive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmmmm. A $120,000 Gender Studies degree or IBEW Local 26?

Easy choice.

Except, the kid doing IBEW Local 26 is deciding between that and likely a business or engineering or other practical degree...and anyone getting a Gender Studies degree is not anyone who is likely cut out for IBEW Local 26.

I’d hope that potential business and engineering majors would grasp both the threat of AI, and the delta between college debt over 4 years vs. 4 years of decent income.

If you had a 2022 high school graduate would you rather they went to college for engineering, or joined the electrical union? Next year is stacking up to be the worst year for college graduates since COVID. Couple that with the AI headwind and the electrician will be several steps ahead.

While I know what you are kind of saying...the reality is that my kid already has an offer in CS for $200k plus bonus and options (and ability to work for the company at the same hourly rate during the school year) at an AI company, while his HS friend is doing an electrician apprenticeship in DC for $52k year. His friend is a great "hands on" kind of kid who had terrible grades in school and would likely flunk out of college (but was smart enough to realize that college is not for him).

It's a great outcome for his buddy...and perhaps his buddy will have more stable long-term employment...but my kid has zero debt and is fairly optimistic about his own prospects...so maybe I can report back in 10 years how both have fared.

What a coincidence. A parent with a STEM grad the very same year as the example who already has a unicorn job offer AND a low paid electrician friend that shares his salary. Thanks for letting us all know.

It's not low-paid...it's what apprentices make to start and he will see raises once he completes his apprenticeship and becomes a fully-certified union electrician (this is his 2nd year BTW). Obviously, neither he or parents will incur college costs.

Also, they are HS friends...so of course it's the same year.

+1, people around here call certain CS or finance salaries “unicorn” but then act shocked when they see that the actual electrician/plumber/mechanic salaries are not the $220k ones they heard about in a story once.

This kid should be able to pull down $100k+ once he graduates from apprentice and puts in his time...so say late 20s/30. I wouldn't be shocked if with overtime some of these union guys can pull down $200k+ when they are say 40.

Again, getting PAID $52k to learn the trade vs. paying for college is probably a good decision for this kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmmmm. A $120,000 Gender Studies degree or IBEW Local 26?

Easy choice.

Except, the kid doing IBEW Local 26 is deciding between that and likely a business or engineering or other practical degree...and anyone getting a Gender Studies degree is not anyone who is likely cut out for IBEW Local 26.

I’d hope that potential business and engineering majors would grasp both the threat of AI, and the delta between college debt over 4 years vs. 4 years of decent income.

If you had a 2022 high school graduate would you rather they went to college for engineering, or joined the electrical union? Next year is stacking up to be the worst year for college graduates since COVID. Couple that with the AI headwind and the electrician will be several steps ahead.

While I know what you are kind of saying...the reality is that my kid already has an offer in CS for $200k plus bonus and options (and ability to work for the company at the same hourly rate during the school year) at an AI company, while his HS friend is doing an electrician apprenticeship in DC for $52k year. His friend is a great "hands on" kind of kid who had terrible grades in school and would likely flunk out of college (but was smart enough to realize that college is not for him).

It's a great outcome for his buddy...and perhaps his buddy will have more stable long-term employment...but my kid has zero debt and is fairly optimistic about his own prospects...so maybe I can report back in 10 years how both have fared.

What a coincidence. A parent with a STEM grad the very same year as the example who already has a unicorn job offer AND a low paid electrician friend that shares his salary. Thanks for letting us all know.

LOL nailed it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmmmm. A $120,000 Gender Studies degree or IBEW Local 26?

Easy choice.

Except, the kid doing IBEW Local 26 is deciding between that and likely a business or engineering or other practical degree...and anyone getting a Gender Studies degree is not anyone who is likely cut out for IBEW Local 26.

I’d hope that potential business and engineering majors would grasp both the threat of AI, and the delta between college debt over 4 years vs. 4 years of decent income.

If you had a 2022 high school graduate would you rather they went to college for engineering, or joined the electrical union? Next year is stacking up to be the worst year for college graduates since COVID. Couple that with the AI headwind and the electrician will be several steps ahead.

While I know what you are kind of saying...the reality is that my kid already has an offer in CS for $200k plus bonus and options (and ability to work for the company at the same hourly rate during the school year) at an AI company, while his HS friend is doing an electrician apprenticeship in DC for $52k year. His friend is a great "hands on" kind of kid who had terrible grades in school and would likely flunk out of college (but was smart enough to realize that college is not for him).

It's a great outcome for his buddy...and perhaps his buddy will have more stable long-term employment...but my kid has zero debt and is fairly optimistic about his own prospects...so maybe I can report back in 10 years how both have fared.

What a coincidence. A parent with a STEM grad the very same year as the example who already has a unicorn job offer AND a low paid electrician friend that shares his salary. Thanks for letting us all know.

It's not low-paid...it's what apprentices make to start and he will see raises once he completes his apprenticeship and becomes a fully-certified union electrician (this is his 2nd year BTW). Obviously, neither he or parents will incur college costs.

Also, they are HS friends...so of course it's the same year.

+1, people around here call certain CS or finance salaries “unicorn” but then act shocked when they see that the actual electrician/plumber/mechanic salaries are not the $220k ones they heard about in a story once.

This kid should be able to pull down $100k+ once he graduates from apprentice and puts in his time...so say late 20s/30. I wouldn't be shocked if with overtime some of these union guys can pull down $200k+ when they are say 40.

Again, getting PAID $52k to learn the trade vs. paying for college is probably a good decision for this kid.

And if his parents had money to cover the engineering degree, it could instead be working for him those four years while he is also getting paid…

[Anonymous]

When people are walking out of grad school with 100k in loans and a degree in French literature? Maybe that degree wasn’t worth the cost and they’re going to be saddled with the debt for a long, long time.

ROI is something to consider and it should always be part of the calculation.