When teenagers begin preparing to graduate from high school and finish their finals with outstanding performance, a question arises that follows them into adulthood: Should I go to college? However, college has long been pushed on students by parents, school counselors, and society at large, as the belief that it is best for teenagers is widespread. However, as college enrollment rates have clearly declined, the question has become more complex and is no longer a simple yes-or-no question. Is college still worth it? There is no right or wrong answer to this question, but with rising costs and new learning paths, people are beginning to wonder whether college retains the same value and is guaranteed to lead to student success.
The Rising Cost Of College
One of the biggest reasons college enrollment has been declining is the cost—the average four-year college tuition costs between $10,000 and $12,000. For many teenagers with struggling families barely getting by, the price alone feels excessive and impossible. Even if students manage to cover the cost and graduate with a diploma, they’re stuck with large amounts of debt to pay off in time. The financial situation can persist for 10 years or longer, taking a toll not only on students but also on their spending capacity. Whether it’s food, to save, or buy a home, all of those things seem out of reach if you have debt keeping you back. An article written by Rainesford Stauffer, “Student debt is taxing young people’s mental health,” a girl named Catherine decided to share her story with Teen Vogue and said the following words: “I have three main problems with my mental health, one is family issues, one is myself, and one is debt. Because it’s a trap. And there’s no out.” This line alone resonated with thousands of people, who shared the reasoning behind not going to college: that college is not worth the debt or the toll it will take on them. This alone has become a significant reason for declining enrollment.
New Opportunities
Another reason fewer students attend college is that the future is changing, with more opportunities available to millions of people. Today, many growing careers, such as technology, media, and skilled labor, don’t require a traditional four-year education. These jobs are all about creativity, skills, and experience. These options cost much less than college and sometimes cost nothing at all, which appeals to students who want to start working rather than pursuing an education immediately after high school. Because of all these new options and the chance for students to do more in life, college doesn’t feel like a necessity to succeed.
No/Yes College Is Still Worth It
The question alone will never end, no matter how many arguments are raised; it will remain unanswered. Some people think college is worth it, some others don’t think college is worth it. But we can understand both sides of the argument and their reasoning for wanting to go or not. An article on teen vogue, written by Christel Langue, “From frat houses to noon lectures, a freshman reflects on her first month at college,” shares of her experience at college and how much it changed her life but for the best way possible as in her conclusion she finishes off with, “All of this has been a learning experience for me. It’s crazy, and scary, and trying, and so many things. But this is what growing up is…” It’s a short but nice ending to her article about college being able to give so many chances in only a short time.
However, for some people, college is not worth it at all. In an article posted on Medium by Neil Patel, “My biggest regret in life: going to college,” shares a point of view in her reasoning for college not being worth the cost or experience, as she states, “I wasted five years of my life going to college, and it’s my biggest regret in life. For me, college was a waste of time, a waste of energy, a waste of money, and potential.” Judging by that sentence alone, her point seems to be that college takes away everything from you, and it ends up being worth nothing, from her point of view.
So is college still worth it? The truth is that there is no right or wrong answer; it depends
s on the student. College can be highly stressful for someone barely getting by, but for someone else, it can be invaluable for achieving a degree that supports their dream career. But for others, there are plenty of options that don’t involve college and having to pay off thousands of dollars. Ultimately, every student should closely examine their goals and ask themselves this question: Will college help me get to where I need to be in the future I’m planning for?
