Being a teenager in America in 2025 can feel disorienting—especially when you’re deciding whether college is worth it. 

For generations, college was sold as a near-guarantee: better jobs, higher pay, meaningful relationships, personal growth, and a clear path to stability. It wasn’t just education; it was a rung on the socioeconomic ladder. Go to college, work hard, and things would more or less work out.

That promise feels shakier today.

Headlines proclaiming the “crisis of higher education” litter mainstream media and industry blogs, and the rising costs of college and the struggles of new graduates in landing jobs have led to a record low public opinion about the value of college. Meanwhile, you see people building wealth and gaining autonomy without college—entreprenuers, young influencers, tradespeople—while degree-holders in their 40s are still struggling to pay off student loans from two decades ago. You are trying to make sense of all this. You are asking, what is college actually worth today? 

Tuition and Other Costs

According to the Education Data Initiative’s report this year, the average cost of college per student in the U.S. is $38,300 per year, including tuition, books, supplies, and daily living expenses. 

• Private, nonprofit universities—which all 8 Ivy League universities are—average $58,600 per year, with about $38,400 in tuition alone. 
• In-state 4-year public universities average $27,100 per year, with roughly $9,800 in tuition. 
• Out-of-state tuition averages $28,400. 

But tuition isn’t the full price. There’s also opportunity costs: the total value of what you must give up by attending college. This may be equivalent to the total amount of what you could earn by working full-time instead of going to school. For some students and families, this matters as much as (or more than) tuition itself.

A Federal Reserve Bank of New York analysis this year shows that while the direct costs of college have leveled off in the past decade, opportunity costs have climbed as “tight labor market conditions boosted the real wages of those without a college degree.” This made the tradeoff starker: four years in school now means four years of foregone earnings that are higher than they used to be. 

Although research has repeatedly shown the lifetime benefits of college, the hefty upfront costs remains a real barrier to some. 

Is College Still a Good Investment?

When people ask whether college is “worth it,” they are usually asking about return on investment. But ROI in education is not just one number. It varies by field of study, degree, type of institution, timing, and what we choose to count as a “return.” 

On average, college graduates still earn more over their lifetimes than those with only a high school diploma. Research consistently shows a substantial earnings premium for bachelor’s degree holders, even after accounting for student debt. A Brookings analysis finds that most college graduates recoup their education costs over time and see positive net financial returns, particularly those who complete a four-year degree and remain attached to the labor force.

But averages hide dispersion. According to the second part of the New York Federal Reserve analysis, roughly 25% college graduates experience low or even negative financial ROI. They tend to be those who:

• do not complete their degrees;
• major in fields with lower post-graduation earnings;
• attend high-cost institutions with weak labor market outcomes;
• or take longer to finish. 

For these graduates, the estimated rate of return in 2024 was just 2.6%, compared to the long-term average of 12–13% for college graduates as a whole over the past few decades, making college a questionable financial investment for . 

That said, college still provides non-financial benefits. Degree holders tend to report higher life satisfaction and are more resilient during economic downturns. While the employment gap between degree holders and non-degree holders has narrowed in recent years, the bachelor’s degree still functions as a form of risk reduction rather than a cleancut payoff.

Building a Career Without College

Choosing not to go to college does not mean opting out of economic opportunities, but it does require intention and strategy. 

As technology and A.I. reshape work and the meaning of talent, employers are shifting toward skills-based hiring. A 2023 LinkedIn report found that the share of paid job postings not requiring a professional degree rose from 21% to 29% between 2019 to 2022—a 36% increase in just three years. This trend is most visible in fields like tech, operations, customer success, sales, digital marketing, and skilled trades, where demonstrable ability matters more than formal credentials. 

But not all skills are equally valuable. As A.I. automates routine and technical tasks, replacing entry-level jobs, human soft skills such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving are becoming more valuable. These are precisely the skills machines cannot replicate yet and employers consistently rank as essential, and they can be developed outside college through project-based work, customer-facing jobs, apprenticeships, and team environments. 

Another increasingly popular way to gain skills is alternative credential programs, such as industry certifications, licenses, and targeted training programs. When paired with hands-on experience, they can be effective in pursuing niche or specialized careers. The key is to be selective: credentials only matter if employers recognize them, especially if the cost is high.  

Without college acting as a built-in pipeline, relationships and skills must be built more intentionally through professional communities, industry groups, and even direct outreach. Skipping college does not remove the need to invest in oneself. It just changes how and where that investment happens.

So, Is College Worth It?

The data still shows that college can deliver real benefits: higher earnings on average, more stability, and greater long-term resilience. But it is no longer a universally safe bet.

In 2025, the value of college is deeply personal, dependent on who you are, what you study, how much money you have right now, and what alternative you have other than college. Instead of “should I go to college?”, ask yourself, “what am I paying for? What am I giving up? How valuable to me are these respectively?” and “What else could I build instead?”