Americans no longer see four-year college degrees as worth the cost

Perceived Value and Purpose of a Degree

• Many see a bachelor’s degree as a weakened signal: when ~40–50% of people have one, it no longer differentiates candidates.
• Debate over “human capital” vs “signaling”: some argue college mainly certifies intelligence, conscientiousness, and conformity, not skills.
• Several managers report little correlation between formal credentials and job performance, and in some cases view degrees—especially generic ones—as a negative signal.
• Others push back: for top schools and demanding programs (engineering, medicine, etc.), degrees still strongly predict capability and career options.

Cost, Debt, and International Comparisons

• Rising tuition, stagnant real wages, and non‑dischargeable student loans drive skepticism about ROI, especially outside high‑paying fields.
• Commenters note administrative bloat, fancy amenities, and weakened instructional focus as key cost drivers.
• Europe and some other countries offer low‑ or no‑tuition degrees, but funded via higher taxes and generally lower per‑student spending and amenities.
• There’s disagreement over whether “free” public education is a good societal investment or just hides the loan in the tax code.

Prep and Quality: K‑12 to University

• UCSD’s remedial math stats (≈8–12% of freshmen placing into very low‑level math) alarm many; they blame K‑12, COVID learning loss, and social promotion.
• Some argue such students “aren’t college material” and should start in community colleges; others say universities shouldn’t be cleaning up high‑school failures.
• Broader point: if many high‑school grads can’t handle basic algebra, pushing “college for all” becomes self‑defeating.

Jobs, Skills, and Alternatives

• Strong current in favor of trades, community colleges, co‑op programs, and employer‑led training; many list numerous non‑degree office and technical roles.
• Several say a degree is now effectively a high‑school diploma replacement, needed mainly to get past HR filters, not to do most jobs.
• Online resources and open courseware make it easier to self‑educate, but people note motivation and structure are scarce outside institutions.

Social and Intellectual Functions of College

• Some insist the real value is holistic: learning to learn, exposure to research and liberal arts, critical thinking, and social maturation (especially dorm life).
• Others counter that “well‑rounded education” can be obtained cheaply online; colleges increasingly deliver credential + party, not depth.
• Culture‑war threads: anecdotes of politicized “studies” courses, DEI, and perceived indoctrination vs defenses of universities as pro‑truth, pro‑science spaces.

Labor Market, Law, and Immigration

• Degree requirements partly blamed on legal constraints: employer aptitude tests with disparate impact risk lawsuits, so degrees become a “fair” proxy.
• OPT/H‑1B and offshoring are seen by some as undercutting domestic grads; others argue high‑skill immigration fills genuine shortages.

Reform Proposals and Trajectories

• Ideas floated: cheaper accredited online degrees, stronger vocational tracks from high school, more apprenticeships, and reining in administrative bloat.
• Some foresee elite universities reverting to networking clubs for the upper class, with public and alternative paths handling mass education and training.