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[quote=Anonymous]I think college is more necessary than ever--regardless of major, you learn to assess and synthesize evidence and make and critique arguments.   This is true of humanities, social sciences, STEM etc.

But I wouldn't mind if my kid did what I did which is pick up a trade on the side while going to a 4 year college.  My dad was a carpenter, and I did carpenter's apprenticeships full-time for six summers starting with the summer before my freshman year and ending the summer after my senior year, including an intensive welding program.  I liked the physical labor  and in my 20s though I had an "office job," I would join some building projects on the side as I had time/needed money. Carpentry carried me through grad school too and has saved me a lot of money working on my own home.  I liked the tradespeople I worked with, but many were feeling their age even by 28-30 if physical labor was their primary gig. And they basically rarely read or thought too deeply about anything. They were susceptible to scams and pretty terrible with money. Nice guys for sure--would give you the shirt off their back and I would do the same for them.  But I was glad I had friends from college/work/grad school  because tbh too much time with them gets old.

Some went back to community/technical college to pick up more opportunities, but a lot of them--even though they had practical knowledge--really struggled with even the most basic classes.  It's hard to get a successful trades business off the ground if you don't know how to keep your own books, advertise, have strong written communication. I still keep in touch with a core group from that work: 2 are on disability now in their 40s, one owns an LLC that has limped along and works in retail to make ends meet, and 2 have gone to work more on the office side for a national company, but they gripe a lot about how little they are paid considering their level of experience.

So YMMV, but from my experience it seems like skipping college seems like a better deal for the first 10 years but then it doesn't. And for a lot of people 10 years out of school with little intellectual stimulation makes it hard to go back.  Some of these guys were guys I knew in HS and they could have gone to a 4 year college back then, but academic skills atrophy and they have more responsibilities now. The guys on disability have tried to do a CC program and I do try to help, but it's a bridge too far now IMHO.  
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