How is it possible that only 50% go to college?

[Anonymous]

Only about half of my HS graduating class went to and graduate from a 4-year college.

In rural areas, there are a number of pathways that don't involve college, and for a lot of people, the combination of college costing money AND delaying when you can start earning money makes it a no go. Also a lot of people are just not that academic and don't want to sit in classrooms for an extra 4 years taking general ed courses or learning about philosophy. I am a super academic person and that's exactly what I wanted to do when I was 18. But I knew tons of people who didn't and it's fine? I'd just gone through 12 years of school with a lot of people who didn't care about school and wasn't going to then expect them to go populate colleges where they also wouldn't want to be. I was excited to go to college where presumably most people would actually want to be there (this is not totally true, sadly, but should be).

Anyway, here are what HS classmates who didn't go to college did instead:

- Military
- Worked on family farm/ranch
- Construction where they could make a pretty decent income with no additional education right off the bat
- Married someone who was going to college or already had a career, became a SAHP
- Trade school to be a plumber, HVAC tech, etc.

I also know some people who did one or two years of college, decided it wasn't for them, and then went to work. A lot of these people wound up in office type jobs where their little bit of college actually was an asset in getting the job. You don't need a 4-year degree for a lot of jobs in things like marketing or administration -- you need a decent head on your shoulders and the ability to learn on the job.

And then there's a whole category of people who went to work in construction, retail, food service, etc., after high school, and then later went and got a degree. This includes some of the most successful people I know. They went to college after living and working for a bit and then pursued a degree with a lot of self-knowledge about what they wanted out of life and what they were good at.

What I've just described is normal and good and reflects a perfectly healthy society and economy. I do not understand why anyone would ever want 100% college enrollment. That makes no sense. You want the people who cook your food, stock shelves at the hardware store, fix your electrical system, repair your car, do landscaping, to all have 4 year college degrees? Why? And who pays for that when college costs as much as it does now?

For college educated people, some of you are incredibly naive and ignorant.

[Anonymous]

I grew up blue collar. I was the first in my family to graduate from a four-year university. I had to take out student loans to attend college. That was in the late 1980s. Since then, the cost of attending the university I graduated from has ballooned to an eye-popping price. I could not afford to attend now. You sound very coddled, OP. People are weighing the benefits of going into staggering debt vis-a-vis the benefits of doing so. Why take out $100k in student loans when you can become a plumber and instantly earn $150k/year and only need affordable training and certifications? And your work can never be outsourced? And there is a lot of work to be had, because the college educated cannot even tighten the screws on a door knob?

[Anonymous]

I'll never forget the college-educated neighbor who would kind of razz my husband for being handy around the house (we were renovating our house ourselves) but would come over and ask for free contractor help. One time, this neighbor came and asked if if he could install a light bulb. I kid you not. A light bulb. My husband did it, but we laughed over that for years. Talk about playing to stereotype.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll never forget the college-educated neighbor who would kind of razz my husband for being handy around the house (we were renovating our house ourselves) but would come over and ask for free contractor help. One time, this neighbor came and asked if if he could install a light bulb. I kid you not. A light bulb. My husband did it, but we laughed over that for years. Talk about playing to stereotype.

By “install” you mean change the light bulb (strange choice of words in that case) or install the wiring to create another light? They are completely different things. The latter actually isn’t that simple for someone who hasn’t done much handy work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up blue collar. I was the first in my family to graduate from a four-year university. I had to take out student loans to attend college. That was in the late 1980s. Since then, the cost of attending the university I graduated from has ballooned to an eye-popping price. I could not afford to attend now. You sound very coddled, OP. People are weighing the benefits of going into staggering debt vis-a-vis the benefits of doing so. Why take out $100k in student loans when you can become a plumber and instantly earn $150k/year and only need affordable training and certifications? And your work can never be outsourced? And there is a lot of work to be had, because the college educated cannot even tighten the screws on a door knob?

You sure you went to college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My large HS had a 40% drop out rate. I have no idea how many who graduated went to college. That was the mid 90s. The area has gotten worse since I moved away with poverty and unemployment. You live in a bubble, OP.

I know a lot of people who had babies or died while we were in HS.

This is transparently insane. If you're not from the ghetto, it's weird not to go to college, period. Unless you're just that stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A 2022 Fed Survey found that about 37% of Americans could not cover an unexpected $400 expense. How do you think families in those situations (or those doing only slightly better) are going to pay for college?

Tbf, those families usually get the most aid

What you don't get, is they don't have the luxury of time to go to college and spend four years not earning money. They need to work to help out food on the family table.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My large HS had a 40% drop out rate. I have no idea how many who graduated went to college. That was the mid 90s. The area has gotten worse since I moved away with poverty and unemployment. You live in a bubble, OP.

I know a lot of people who had babies or died while we were in HS.

This is transparently insane. If you're not from the ghetto, it's weird not to go to college, period. Unless you're just that stupid.

DP. You are entirely divorced from reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My large HS had a 40% drop out rate. I have no idea how many who graduated went to college. That was the mid 90s. The area has gotten worse since I moved away with poverty and unemployment. You live in a bubble, OP.

I know a lot of people who had babies or died while we were in HS.

This is transparently insane. If you're not from the ghetto, it's weird not to go to college, period. Unless you're just that stupid.

DP. You are entirely divorced from reality.

No, I'm not. You're just poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My large HS had a 40% drop out rate. I have no idea how many who graduated went to college. That was the mid 90s. The area has gotten worse since I moved away with poverty and unemployment. You live in a bubble, OP.

I know a lot of people who had babies or died while we were in HS.

This is transparently insane. If you're not from the ghetto, it's weird not to go to college, period. Unless you're just that stupid.

Your view of the population of this country is skewed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My large HS had a 40% drop out rate. I have no idea how many who graduated went to college. That was the mid 90s. The area has gotten worse since I moved away with poverty and unemployment. You live in a bubble, OP.

I know a lot of people who had babies or died while we were in HS.

This is transparently insane. If you're not from the ghetto, it's weird not to go to college, period. Unless you're just that stupid.

Your view of the population of this country is skewed.

No, it isn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only people I know who didn't go to college are family members who don't make much. How could it be that only 50% go? Everyone else I know has at least a bachelor's and usually more.

Cost of college is unaffordable to many and college does not guarantee a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I graduated high school in 2002 and about 30% of kids from my public, inner city school in a large city went to college. I’m sure even fewer actually graduated from college/obtained degrees.

Think about your community and those you interact with regularly and I’m sure you can quickly come up with lots of people you know or interact with who don’t have college degrees. Obv some in the jobs I’m about to list did go to college but many did not:
-cashiers, salespeople
-delivery drivers, mail carriers
-mechanics
-receptionists
-customer service
-restaurant workers, baristas
-garbage collectors
-plumbers, electricians, HVAC workers, construction/contractors
-paramedics, LPNs and nurse’s assistants
-bus drivers and others who work in public transport
-paraprofessionals and education aides at schools

Well you don't really know they didn't go to college, but I would agree you don't necessarily need a college degree to do those things.

That’s why I said obv some of them did go to college…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I graduated high school in 2002 and about 30% of kids from my public, inner city school in a large city went to college. I’m sure even fewer actually graduated from college/obtained degrees.

Think about your community and those you interact with regularly and I’m sure you can quickly come up with lots of people you know or interact with who don’t have college degrees. Obv some in the jobs I’m about to list did go to college but many did not:
-cashiers, salespeople
-delivery drivers, mail carriers
-mechanics
-receptionists
-customer service
-restaurant workers, baristas
-garbage collectors
-plumbers, electricians, HVAC workers, construction/contractors
-paramedics, LPNs and nurse’s assistants
-bus drivers and others who work in public transport
-paraprofessionals and education aides at schools

And a few of these people will have a college degree or some college too.

Yep that’s why I said obv some of the people in these jobs did go to college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My large HS had a 40% drop out rate. I have no idea how many who graduated went to college. That was the mid 90s. The area has gotten worse since I moved away with poverty and unemployment. You live in a bubble, OP.

I know a lot of people who had babies or died while we were in HS.

This is transparently insane. If you're not from the ghetto, it's weird not to go to college, period. Unless you're just that stupid.

DP. You are entirely divorced from reality.

No, I'm not. You're just poor.

Maybe. Or maybe I’ve seen a bit more of the world than you have.