Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X & Boomers Have Completely Different Ideas Of What College Is Good For
SeventyFour | ShutterstockMost older generations see a college degree as essential to success. But between high tuition and a changing job market, some younger people are starting to wonder if it’s still worth it.
While Gen Z is questioning the value of a degree now, boomers thought it was an almost guaranteed way to secure a better future. Each generation has a different opinion about what college is really good for based on their circumstances.
Older generations see college as a great idea, but younger people worry about the cost.
For boomers and Gen X, going to college was pretty standard because it was the best way for them to set themselves up for success. Millennials and Gen Z don’t feel as good about enrolling now that a degree doesn’t really guarantee anything.
Boomers think that going to college is a great way to ensure your future success.
For boomers, college was very important. 44% of the generation attended college at some point, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, although they didn’t all earn a degree.
Deepak Sethi from Getty Images Signature via Canva
Boomers were pretty sold on the idea that a college degree would be their ticket to a higher-paying job. It wasn’t very hard for them to achieve that dream, though. An analysis found that tuition cost just under what would have been $40,000 in 2020 for most boomers.
Basically, boomers believed that college would give them a better life, and they didn’t face many obstacles along the way. This often puts them at odds with younger generations who can’t pay for college by working a minimum-wage job as they did.
Gen X thinks a college degree makes perfect sense if you want to land a good job.
College was a complex endeavor for Gen X. Nearly 40% of the generation completed college with a degree, and they probably paid about $44,000 for tuition by modern standards. They clearly thought it was a good use of their time and money.
SDI Productions from Getty Images Signature via Canva
Researchers believe that Gen X was the first generation to think of college as the natural next step in their lives without really seeing it as optional. It became more important than ever for their careers and financial stability, so it turned into more of a necessity.
Gen X was saddled with the highest student loan debt out of all the generations. While that’s not a good thing, they’ve never really regretted their degrees. Despite the cost, they got pretty solid job security in return, so they still think it’s a good investment.
Millennials’ thoughts on college changed in real time when it didn’t give them what they expected.
Millennials followed in Gen X’s footsteps by making college attendance a priority. They actually earned their degrees in even greater numbers than Gen X. They assumed the good fortune that the previous generation had would continue for them.
francescoridolfi.com from Rido via Canva
Unfortunately, that’s not what happened. Just when millennials were graduating from college, the Great Recession hit. Many were left unemployed even though they had done the one thing they believed would guarantee a prosperous future.
They paid about $70,000 for tuition and took on student debt that they initially had no way to repay. They were the first to wonder on a large scale whether going to college had really helped them enough that the benefits outweighed the costs.
Gen Z has abandoned the idea that a college degree will make their lives better.
After millennials started to rethink college, things never really bounced back enough for Gen Z. One poll found that 51% of Gen Zers who graduated from college don’t think their degree was worth it.
francescoridolfi.com from Rido via Canva
With AI totally changing the workforce in a way that could make some jobs obsolete, some college students are switching majors so they’re better prepared. Others aren’t pursuing a degree at all. There’s expected to be such a big drop in enrollment that some colleges will be forced to close.
Instead of thinking college is the only way to land a good job, Gen Z thinks there are other paths to consider. They think college is good for people who want to enter specialized fields that require lots of training, like doctors and lawyers. But they don’t see the point for the average person anymore.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
