Was college worth it?
Responses reveal a generational and contextual divide: college functioned as a credential filter and life-changer for earlier cohorts (particularly first-gen students), but respondents now question whether that value proposition holds given cost and time investment. There's consensus that the calculus has shifted - worth it then, risky now.
3 responses
Feb 25, 2026
Look, I graduated with 80k in debt and work a job that didn't actually require my degree, so... make of that what you will. But I also met my spouse there, figured out who I was as a person, and loved learning about things that fascinated me. Would I do it again? Honestly, probably not for the same price tag.
Feb 25, 2026
College absolutely changed my life - I was first-gen, didn't know any better, and I walked out with a degree that literally unlocked doors. Yeah, the whole thing's too expensive now, but to act like it wasn't worth it for me feels dishonest. Times have changed though; I wouldn't recommend it to everyone anymore.
Feb 25, 2026
Worth it? I mean, getting the degree got me past HR filters, so yeah, functionally it worked. Whether I actually needed to spend four years and six figures on it is a different question entirely.