To College or Not to College

That is the question Americans are asking today

An important question on the minds of many American young people and their parents is whether or not college is still a good idea. In a Wall Street Journal article published in January 2024, Douglas Belkin asserts that 

For three generations, the national aspiration to “college for all” shaped America’s economy and culture, as most high-school graduates took it for granted that they would earn a degree. That consensus is now collapsing in the face of massive student debt, underemployed degree-holders and political intolerance on campus.

To provide some perspective on the three concerning trends he mentions, first consider the cost of an undergraduate degree. With a 180% increase in tuition from 1980 to 2020, a four-year degree is now in the ballpark of $300k.