小小了解下普通美国人是如何看待“上大学”的！
Nearly half of families no longer see college as a good investment: Author
译文简介
美国的大学已经成为富人的名片
正文翻译
Nearly half of families no longer see college as a good investment: Author
Story by Suzanne Blake
近一半（美国）家庭不再认为上大学是一项好的投资
Students look on during the Commencement Ceremony at Columbia University in New York on May 21, 2025.
2025年5月21日，学生们在纽约哥伦比亚大学的毕业典礼上观看。
Roughly 50 percent of families no longer see college as a good investment, according to a soon-to-be released book on higher education.
In author Jeff Selingo's "DREAM SCHOOL: Finding the College That's Right for You," on sale September 9, only 56 percent of families said they saw college as a worthwhile investment, down from 85 percent in 2015.
据即将出版高等教育新书披露，约50%的美国家庭不再认为大学教育是一项值得的投资。杰夫·塞林戈9月9日上市的新作《梦想学府：找到适合你的大学》显示，仅 56% 的家庭认为大学是值得的投资，而2015年这一比例为 85%。。
Why It Matters
Colleges have been facing an enrollment crisis in recent years, showing many Americans have lost faith in higher education as the costs of attendance skyrocket.
From 2019 to 2021, male undergraduate enrollment dropped by 10.2 percent, according to the National Student Clearinghouse, while female enrollment declined by 7.8 percent.
While community colleges have gained some popularity among students and their parents, the drop in confidence in higher education could trigger significant shifts in who attends college and what skills people bring into the future workforce.
为何如此重要
近年来，大学面临入学危机，这表明随着就读成本飙升，许多美国人已对高等教育失去信心。
根据美国国家学生信息中心的数据，2019至2021年，男性本科生入学人数下降了10.2%，女性入学人数下降了7.8%。
尽管社区学院在学生及其家长中获得了一定青睐，但人们对高等教育信心的下降可能会引发重大转变：哪些人会进入大学、未来工人将具备哪些技能，都可能因此发生改变。
What To Know
While 85 percent of families said they saw college as an good investment in 2015, only 56 percent said they felt the same now, according to DREAM SCHOOL, meaning 44 percent no longer see college as a fruitful investment.
Nationally, the cost of tuition and fees averaged $14,688 in 2023, according to Statista. This prices out higher education for many low-income and middle class families unless they take on large student loans with high interest rates.
"When more graduates are living at home post-graduation and struggling to meet their student loan payments, you can see why some are calling into question the cost of college equating with more professional dividends down the line," Alex Beene, financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek.
《梦想学府》指出，2015 年有 85% 的家庭认为大学是一项好投资，而如今仅 56% 的家庭持相同看法，这意味着 44% 的家庭不再认为上大学能带来理想的回报。
根据 Statista 的数据，2023 年美国学费和其他费用的平均水平为 14,688 美元。这使得许多低收入和中产阶级家庭难以负担高等教育，除非他们背负高额利息的学生贷款。
田纳西大学马丁分校的金融知识讲师亚历克斯・比恩在接受《新闻周刊》采访时表示：“当越来越多的毕业生毕业后住在家里，还在为偿还学生贷款而挣扎时，你就能理解为什么有人会质疑大学的成本是否能在未来带来更多职业回报了。”
"The lesson isn't necessarily to forgo college, but rather be smarter in your approach to picking a major that leads to easier employment availability post-graduation with better wages."
Still, among those planning to attend college, the scope of applications is far wider than in previous generations. In DREAM SCHOOL, Selingo reported that Gen Z submits three times as many applications as Gen X—13 million last year versus 4.4 million in 2001—despite the graduating class only increasing by 800,000.
Applications to Ivy League schools and other sextive colleges have also tripled in 20 years to roughly 2 million, while the number of total freshman seats available remains steady at 100,000.
“关键教训不一定是放弃上大学，而是更明智地选择专业，选那些让你毕业后能更容易找工作、薪资更高的专业。”
不过，在计划上大学的人群中，申请范围比前几代人广泛得多。塞林戈在《梦想学府》中提到，Z 世代提交的大学申请数量是 X 世代的三倍 —— 去年有1300 万人，而 2001 年为 440万—— 尽管毕业生人数仅增加了 80 万。
20 年来，常春藤盟校和其他遴选性大学的申请量也增加了两倍，达到约200万份，而可用的新生席位总数仍稳定在 10 万个。
What People Are Saying
Kevin Thompson, CEO of 9i Capital Group and host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: "Fewer people view college as a good investment today for several reasons. The biggest one? Costs continue to outpace inflation, while the return on investment—especially when weighed against student debt—often doesn't justify the price tag. The quality of many degrees just isn't enough to make up for the long-term financial burden."
Beene also told Newsweek: "Despite multiple studies in recent years that have backed up the time-tested idea that college is a good investment, its reputation with some Americans has tumbled. As the cost of attendance has risen, many students are leaving with more debt and, in some situations, underemployed in their first job."
各抒己见
9I资本集团首席执行官、《9I播客》主持人凯文・汤普森告诉《新闻周刊》：“如今越来越少的人认为大学是一项好投资，原因有几个。其中最大的问题是！成本增速持续超过通胀，而投资回报 —— 尤其是与学生债务相比 —— 往往与高昂成本不匹配。许多学位的含金量不足以抵消长期经济重担。”
比恩也对《新闻周刊》表示：“尽管近年来多项研究都支持‘大学是一项好投资’这一历经时间考验的观点，但它在部分美国人心中的声誉已经大幅下降。随着就读成本上升，许多学生毕业时背负着更多债务，在某些情况下，第一份工作还存在就业机会渺茫的问题。”
What Happens Next
As the price of higher education continues surging, college is increasingly becoming something reserved for the wealthy, according to Thompson.
"A lot of families aren't willing to endure years of financial strain just to pay off massive student loans. Instead, people are choosing internships, apprenticeships, or trade schools to get into the workforce faster and with less debt," Thompson said.
"The implications could be wide-reaching, however, if we believe in the classic Adam Smith supply-and-demand model, then a drop in demand should eventually force four-year colleges to adjust pricing. Whether that happens or not... we'll see."
将来会怎样
汤普森认为，随着高等教育价格持续飙升，大学正日益成为富人的专属品。
“许多家庭不愿意为背负巨额学生贷款长年承受经济压力。因此，人们转而选择通过通实习、学徒制或职业学校，以便更快地进入职场，同时减少债务负担。”
“然而，其影响可能非常深远。如果我们相信经典的亚当·斯密供需理论模型，那么需求的下降最终应该会迫使四年制大学调整定价。至于这种情况是否会发生……让我们等等看吧！”
Story by Suzanne Blake
近一半（美国）家庭不再认为上大学是一项好的投资
Students look on during the Commencement Ceremony at Columbia University in New York on May 21, 2025.
2025年5月21日，学生们在纽约哥伦比亚大学的毕业典礼上观看。
Roughly 50 percent of families no longer see college as a good investment, according to a soon-to-be released book on higher education.
In author Jeff Selingo's "DREAM SCHOOL: Finding the College That's Right for You," on sale September 9, only 56 percent of families said they saw college as a worthwhile investment, down from 85 percent in 2015.
据即将出版高等教育新书披露，约50%的美国家庭不再认为大学教育是一项值得的投资。杰夫·塞林戈9月9日上市的新作《梦想学府：找到适合你的大学》显示，仅 56% 的家庭认为大学是值得的投资，而2015年这一比例为 85%。。
Why It Matters
Colleges have been facing an enrollment crisis in recent years, showing many Americans have lost faith in higher education as the costs of attendance skyrocket.
From 2019 to 2021, male undergraduate enrollment dropped by 10.2 percent, according to the National Student Clearinghouse, while female enrollment declined by 7.8 percent.
While community colleges have gained some popularity among students and their parents, the drop in confidence in higher education could trigger significant shifts in who attends college and what skills people bring into the future workforce.
为何如此重要
近年来，大学面临入学危机，这表明随着就读成本飙升，许多美国人已对高等教育失去信心。
根据美国国家学生信息中心的数据，2019至2021年，男性本科生入学人数下降了10.2%，女性入学人数下降了7.8%。
尽管社区学院在学生及其家长中获得了一定青睐，但人们对高等教育信心的下降可能会引发重大转变：哪些人会进入大学、未来工人将具备哪些技能，都可能因此发生改变。
What To Know
While 85 percent of families said they saw college as an good investment in 2015, only 56 percent said they felt the same now, according to DREAM SCHOOL, meaning 44 percent no longer see college as a fruitful investment.
Nationally, the cost of tuition and fees averaged $14,688 in 2023, according to Statista. This prices out higher education for many low-income and middle class families unless they take on large student loans with high interest rates.
"When more graduates are living at home post-graduation and struggling to meet their student loan payments, you can see why some are calling into question the cost of college equating with more professional dividends down the line," Alex Beene, financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek.
《梦想学府》指出，2015 年有 85% 的家庭认为大学是一项好投资，而如今仅 56% 的家庭持相同看法，这意味着 44% 的家庭不再认为上大学能带来理想的回报。
根据 Statista 的数据，2023 年美国学费和其他费用的平均水平为 14,688 美元。这使得许多低收入和中产阶级家庭难以负担高等教育，除非他们背负高额利息的学生贷款。
田纳西大学马丁分校的金融知识讲师亚历克斯・比恩在接受《新闻周刊》采访时表示：“当越来越多的毕业生毕业后住在家里，还在为偿还学生贷款而挣扎时，你就能理解为什么有人会质疑大学的成本是否能在未来带来更多职业回报了。”
"The lesson isn't necessarily to forgo college, but rather be smarter in your approach to picking a major that leads to easier employment availability post-graduation with better wages."
Still, among those planning to attend college, the scope of applications is far wider than in previous generations. In DREAM SCHOOL, Selingo reported that Gen Z submits three times as many applications as Gen X—13 million last year versus 4.4 million in 2001—despite the graduating class only increasing by 800,000.
Applications to Ivy League schools and other sextive colleges have also tripled in 20 years to roughly 2 million, while the number of total freshman seats available remains steady at 100,000.
“关键教训不一定是放弃上大学，而是更明智地选择专业，选那些让你毕业后能更容易找工作、薪资更高的专业。”
不过，在计划上大学的人群中，申请范围比前几代人广泛得多。塞林戈在《梦想学府》中提到，Z 世代提交的大学申请数量是 X 世代的三倍 —— 去年有1300 万人，而 2001 年为 440万—— 尽管毕业生人数仅增加了 80 万。
20 年来，常春藤盟校和其他遴选性大学的申请量也增加了两倍，达到约200万份，而可用的新生席位总数仍稳定在 10 万个。
What People Are Saying
Kevin Thompson, CEO of 9i Capital Group and host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: "Fewer people view college as a good investment today for several reasons. The biggest one? Costs continue to outpace inflation, while the return on investment—especially when weighed against student debt—often doesn't justify the price tag. The quality of many degrees just isn't enough to make up for the long-term financial burden."
Beene also told Newsweek: "Despite multiple studies in recent years that have backed up the time-tested idea that college is a good investment, its reputation with some Americans has tumbled. As the cost of attendance has risen, many students are leaving with more debt and, in some situations, underemployed in their first job."
各抒己见
9I资本集团首席执行官、《9I播客》主持人凯文・汤普森告诉《新闻周刊》：“如今越来越少的人认为大学是一项好投资，原因有几个。其中最大的问题是！成本增速持续超过通胀，而投资回报 —— 尤其是与学生债务相比 —— 往往与高昂成本不匹配。许多学位的含金量不足以抵消长期经济重担。”
比恩也对《新闻周刊》表示：“尽管近年来多项研究都支持‘大学是一项好投资’这一历经时间考验的观点，但它在部分美国人心中的声誉已经大幅下降。随着就读成本上升，许多学生毕业时背负着更多债务，在某些情况下，第一份工作还存在就业机会渺茫的问题。”
What Happens Next
As the price of higher education continues surging, college is increasingly becoming something reserved for the wealthy, according to Thompson.
"A lot of families aren't willing to endure years of financial strain just to pay off massive student loans. Instead, people are choosing internships, apprenticeships, or trade schools to get into the workforce faster and with less debt," Thompson said.
"The implications could be wide-reaching, however, if we believe in the classic Adam Smith supply-and-demand model, then a drop in demand should eventually force four-year colleges to adjust pricing. Whether that happens or not... we'll see."
将来会怎样
汤普森认为，随着高等教育价格持续飙升，大学正日益成为富人的专属品。
“许多家庭不愿意为背负巨额学生贷款长年承受经济压力。因此，人们转而选择通过通实习、学徒制或职业学校，以便更快地进入职场，同时减少债务负担。”
“然而，其影响可能非常深远。如果我们相信经典的亚当·斯密供需理论模型，那么需求的下降最终应该会迫使四年制大学调整定价。至于这种情况是否会发生……让我们等等看吧！”
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The reason is a simple cost-benefit analysis.
Years ago, college was actually affordable, and you were almost guaranteed a good paying job with a degree.
Today, college is ridiculously expensive, and the good pay is much less of a sure thing.
The thing I don't understand about college today is the emphasis on student loans.
When I went to school in the early 90s it was much more affordable and even then, we were told to focus on things like scholarships, grants, the G.I. Bill, or work study programs because those don't have to be paid back.
Loans were to be considered only as a last resort.
What changed?
原因很简单，就是效费比太低。
以前大学学费不高基本都能负担得起的，而且一旦拿到了学位，几乎肯定都能找到一份高薪工作。
而如今，大学学费高得离谱，而高薪工作相当难找。
我搞不懂现在大学的一点是，太看重学生贷款了。
我90年代初上学的时候，学费就不高，即便如此，当时还劝大家要优先考虑奖学金、助学金、《退伍军人权利法案》资助或勤工俭学项目，因为这些钱不用还。贷款只应作为最后的选择。
到底是什么变了呢？
Godless Heathen
Republicans came in and dumped their anti-education, anti-science insanity on a bunch of vapid Americans who swallowed it all greedily.
共和党人上台后，他们把反教育、反科学的荒唐思想一股脑灌给了那群头脑空洞的美国人身上，而这些人反而贪婪地全盘接受了。
john acra
Just like anything else, it depends. For higher tier students it can propel them forward. However, I am speaking to the top 25 to 10 percent of students and not the vast majority of students who barely pass and don't really understand the material even with passing. It also heavily depends on the type of degree. A below average engineering graduate is going to do far better than a top tier criminal justice degree graduate. That said we hand out too many degrees in too many fields that are already saturated.
就像其他事情一样，这得看情况。对尖子生来说，上大学能推动他们进步。不过我这里指的是排到前25%到10%的学生，而非绝大多数那些勉强及格、即便及格了也没真正理解所学内容的学生。这也很大程度上取决于学位类型。一个低于平均水平的工程专业毕业生，也比顶尖的刑事司法专业毕业生过得好得多。话虽如此，我们在太多已经饱和的领域发了太多的学位证。
ltaylor
College was never intended to be for everyone- only for jobs that require higher education such as medicine, law, engineering, accounting, and the like. I do not have a college degree- never finished- and I make double or more what my counterparts who have multiple degrees do. Trade schools are far more valuable than college or university these days.
大学从来就不是为大多人准备的，大学只适合那些需要高等教育的职业，比如医学、法律、工程、会计之类的。我没有大学学位，连学都没上完，但我的收入是那些拥有多个学位的同行的两倍甚至更多。如今，去职业学校远比学院或大学更为划算。
Rat Wrangler
FYI: four states in the US, including California, do not require a degree in order to pass the bar and become a lawyer.
Concerned American
热知识：包括加利福尼亚州在内的美国四个州，不需要拥有学位也能通过律师资格考试而成为律师。
Rat Wrangler
Who in the world would want a non-law school trained attorney? lol
这世界上谁会想要一个没上过法学院的律师啊？呵呵
brooklnthunder
higher education is not about jobs. that's called vocational school, and yes to get a graduate degree in a specialized field you (usually) need an actual BA/BS first. It's about developing your mind and learning how to problem solve, learning about topics in great depth, while expanding your world view. It makes you a better person.
高等教育不是为了找工作。那是职业学校的目的，而且没错，要想在某个专业领域攻读研究生学位，（通常）确实需要先有学士学位。高等教育是为了培养思维、学会解决问题、深入学习各类知识，同时拓宽世界观。它能让你成为一个更加优秀的人。
brooklnthunder
Educational Attainment Average Income
Below high school $36,685.33
Some high school
but no degree $26,966.08
High school diploma
or equivalent $48,182.48
Some college
but no degree $54,478.82
Associate's degree,
occupational/
vocational program $64,065.38
Associate's degree,
academic program $63,742.25
Bachelor's degree $95,587.71
Master's degree 119,883.96
Professional school degree $203,605.50
Doctorate degree $159,054.32
教育程度与平均收入情况
高中以下 $36685.33
高中肄业 $26966.08
高中文凭或同等学历 $48182.48
大学肄业 $54478.82
副学士学位，职业/技术项目 $64065.38
副学士学位，学术项目 $63742.25
学士学位 $95587.71
硕士学位 $119883.96
专业学位 $203605.50
博士学位 $159054.32
Gina F
hahaha these numbers are suspect and not average at all.
I earned my masters 32 years ago -Masters in Architecture- which is actually a professional degree. I know location impacts earnings some- but the only architects earning mid to upper 6 figures are partners and owners of firms which is not the majority. upper 25% of 5 figure is actual average. Many high school educated end up in vocational or industrial occupations and those can be almost 6 figures...
don't need a higher education for accounting
哈哈~ 这些数字很可疑，根本不是平均值。
我在32年前拿到了硕士学位—建筑学硕士，这其实是一个专业学位。我知道地理位置会影响收入—但只有合伙人或事务所所有者（这可不是大多数）才能达到六位数的高收入。五位数中前25%才是实际的平均水平。许多高中毕业生最终从事职业或工业类工作，这些工作收入几乎也能达到六位数...还有当会计不需要高等教育。
Gina F
A Masters in Architecture is considered a Master's degree. According to Indeed. the median income for architects is $96,670, ZipRecruiter $128,756. Almost 3x as much as a person with only a high school diploma and 50% more than vocational jobs.
建筑学硕士被认为是硕士学位。据领英网数据，建筑师的收入中位数是96670美元，证券交易员是128756美元。几乎是仅有高中学历者的三倍，比职业工作的收入高出50%。
Marulisa
yes but these days, in the Information Age, you can do all that at home for free.
you do to become a CPA
但如今是信息时代，你在家就能免费学到所有这些（高等教育的内容）。
还有要成为注册会计师（CPA）还是需要（高等教育文凭）的。
user-cspn8bvsr6
Exactly, may other things those who never finish college thought they are "useless" "wasted of money", but critical thinking, data analysis, problem identification/solutions are a few, even Bill Gate regrated he did not finish college.
正是如此，那些从未完成大学学业的人可能认为教育是"无用的""浪费金钱"，但批判性思维、数据分析、问题识别/解决能力等等都是（只有大学能提供的），就连比尔·盖茨都后悔没上完大学。
baa
And where are the people making these figures located? Where you live determines your salary. Taking an average of any field's pay from across the country is not very accurate.
能赚到这些钱的人都住在哪里？你所住的地方决定了你的收入。无论用国内哪里的平均薪资来描述都不太准确。
God Botherer
Joe with his intent to forgive college debt demonstrated that college education does not provide what it claims to provide.
Along with the intense indoctrination into secularism, saddling people with huge amounts of debt, colleges have failed to further our country's future.
拜登打算免除大学债务的意图恰恰证明了大学教育无法兑现他所承诺的价值。
除了向学生强行灌输世俗主义思想、让民众背负巨额债务外，大学已无法推进我们国家的未来。
user-47b0nq4art
thats it... The kids with the degree think they are entitled to big positions..They dont get they are still the low man on the pole and need to work into higher level jobs...Dad bought them a degree not a job at IBM
就是这样…… 有学位的年轻人觉得自己理应得到高薪工作…… 他们不明白自己仍是底层牛马，需要一步步努力才能晋升…… 父亲给他们买来了学位，却买不来一份好的大公司（IBM）工作。
user-47b0nq4art
man, it's almost like that's exactly what baby boomers told millennials and gen z would happen if they got a degree.
Even if you do get a degree, if you don't get a position via nepotism then you aren't getting a good paying job. That makes the degree completely worthless.
伙计，这简直就像婴儿潮一代告诉千禧一代和 Z 世代的：拿到学位就会这样。
就算你有学位，要是没关系，也一样找不到高薪工作。这样一来，学位就彻底没用了。
user-v57mpp27du
I place blame on Gen X and Boomers for coddling their kids. Example like everyone deserves a trophy after the game is over, even he losing team
我觉得 X 世代和婴儿潮一代要怪就怪他们太溺爱孩子了。比如比赛结束后，即使是输了的那队，每个队员都能拿到一个奖杯。
Rat Wrangler
Prior to the 1970s, about 60% of the decent jobs did not require a degree. In the late 1970s and into the 1980s, many of those jobs left our shores. With both unemployment and inflation in double digits, people struggled to survive, so parents started pushing their children towards allegedly better paying careers that required degrees. Why some of the kids chose careers that would not pay well, I have no idea.
70 年代前，约60% 的好工作不需要大学文凭。70 年代末到 80 年代，很多这样的工作流出了美国。当时失业率和通胀率都达到了两位数，人们挣扎求生，所以父母开始督促子女去追求那些只要能上大学就能得到高薪的工作。至于有些孩子为什么会选择那些薪资不高的职业，我就不明白了。
Paula
Only 60%? More like 80%. Teachers didn't even technically need college. They went to teaching school. You know it's messed up when to get a landscaping job with a good firm, they want you to have a landscape architecture degree.
只有 60%？更像是 80%。以前当老师严格来说都不需要大学学历，上师范学校就可以。现在离谱到什么程度呢：想在好的公司找份园林绿化工作，他们都要求你得有景观建筑学学位。
user-2w4kvi9mh6
A lot of degrees are still worth every penny. Core competencies like engineering and business degrees will get you a job so long as you don't come in at the bottom of your class. But you need to be smart financially about how you get your degree too. Some people go to out of state universities and pay outrageous prices for tuition and borrow to the max. You don't have to do that. That's a choice.
好多学位性价比还是很高的。比如工程、商学这类核心专业的学位，只要你不是班里倒数，基本都能找到工作。但你在如何获得学位方面也需要有财务上的智慧。有些人去外州的大学，支付高昂学费，还借了最高额度的贷款。你没必要这么做，这是个人选择。
David Gudenkauf
The Marketing of higher education and also the education system promoted itself as a "need" to have a great lifestyle, thus causing the outrageous inflation in education costs over the past several decades. Taking naive 18-19 children and asking them to sign on to debt for degrees that have little or no value in the workforce is the fault of lower education and the government to EDUCATE our children on how best to have a good lifestyle in America. Many children could skip higher education right after High School and enter the workforce to learn about opportunities of careers. Then they could choose to decide if investing in higher education after learning about the workforce. That was the pathway that the greatest Generation and Boomers took to improve their lifestyles. Too much of debt promotion was why there is a multi-TRILLION dollar problem with higher education now. We need to change the behavior of debt promotion more than look at why children/families are not interested in "investing" in education. Higher education is more of a Quality problem rather than a Quantity problem.
高等教育的营销以及教育体系自身把自己宣传为可以过上优越生活的“必需品”，这导致了过去几十年教育成本的惊人飙涨。让天真无知的18、19岁孩子背上债务去攻读那些在劳动力市场上不需要或是可以说是毫无价值的学位，这是低等教育和政府的错误，他们没有教我们的孩子，在自己的国家里如何过上最好的生活。好多孩子高中毕业后完全可以跳过高等教育，直接进入劳动力市场，寻找就业机会。然后他们可以再决定是否投资高等教育。这正是"最伟大的一代"和婴儿潮世代提升生活水平的路径。过度的债务推销才是导致现在高等教育数万亿美元问题的原因。我们更需要改变推销债务的行为，而不是去探究为什么孩子或家庭对“投资”教育不感兴趣。高等教育更多是一个质量问题，而不是数量问题。
Hermit1985
Look what it does to kids. I am 40 years old and returning. I can tell you the dogma is real. I am nonpolitical. It's hard to ignore. Send a child to a ridiculously priced education to be taught by someone who doesn't like our country. Who doesn't like our culture. For what? They can go a different path that does not incur debt and succeed without listening to the dogma.
看看这一切对孩子的影响。我已经40了，正重回校园。我可以告诉你，那些教条是真实存在的。我是无党派人士，对这些东西但很难视而不见。花高价送孩子去接受教育，结果教他们的人不喜欢我们的国家、不喜欢我们的文化。图什么呢？他们可以选择另一条路，不欠债，不听那些教条也能成功。
Kevin Dawson
If it's so ridiculously priced, the teachers so unpatriotic, and the results so doubtful, why are you returning?
Hermit1985
既然学费这么离谱，老师这么不爱国，结果又如此令人生疑，那你为什么还要回去上学呢？
lynn davis
I am surprised that over 50% still think a college degree is a worthwhile investment! While there are a few degree plans that will lead to employment, the majority do not. The REAL good investment? Trade schools. Students leave a trade school employed and usually earning over $40000
我很惊讶竟然有超过50%的人仍然认为大学学位是一项值得的投资！虽然有少数专业确实能带来就业，但大多数都不能。真正的好投资是什么？职业学校。学生从职业学校毕业时通常就已经就业了，而且收入通常都能超过（年薪）四万美元。
D D
Is 40k a livable salary?
四万块能够你干啥的？
user-hyxu3r4j3m
Unfortunately, though a college degree is the new high school diploma to get into many white-collar fields.
The one with the bachelor's degree will get into the entry-level white-collar training program every single time over the one with the high school diploma only.
High School diplomas have become watered down and are handed out too easily unless one is getting a high school diploma with a college prep curriculum.
不幸的是，尽管大学学位在很多白领领域已经成了新的高中文凭。
拥有学士学位的人，每次都能优先进入初级白领培训项目，而仅有高中文凭的人则不行。
高中文凭的含金量已经变得太低，拿到太容易了，除非你拿的是包含大学预科课程的高中文凭。
John
I agree with this. The undergraduate degree is the minimum bar for obtaining a corporate job. Granted this does NOT guarantee you will rise up through the corporate ranks only that large companies expect that people will have a BS/BA degree at a minimum unless the job is in tech and you are a high school genius.
我同意这一点。本科学位是跨入公司的最低门槛。当然，这并不保证你能在公司里步步高升，只是大公司都希望员工至少拥有理学士或文学士（BS/BA）学位，除非是技术类工作而你恰好是个高中天才。
Lynn D. Corum
Yes, but the ones who are bright and learn well on-the-job will soon outpace a mediocre college grad, every time. And kids fresh from four years of partying and cut-and-pasting 'papers' do NOT make the best employees.
是的，但那些聪明、能在工作中学习得很好的人，每次都会很快超过平庸的大学毕业生。而那些刚混完四年派对和复制粘贴“论文”中出来的孩子们，绝不是最好的员工。
Betsy Hector
Congress allowed predatory lenders to ensnare the youngest, least experienced adults in our country for college loans. Shame on them all. BUT there is MUCH to be said for a good trade school program with BONA FIDE certification, just not the not the Trump Academy type of crap.
国会允许掠夺性贷款机构用大学贷款压榨我们国家最年轻、最没经验的成年人。他们真该感到羞耻。而真正有价值的职业学校专业，确实可以提供货真价实的认证（绝不是像特朗普学院的那种垃圾），强烈建议去学。
Yousaidit
This article doesn't even say who was asked or what studies the author relied on. Are there actual studies that have been done or is it just opinion from the author of the book?
这篇文章甚至没说调查对象是那些人，或者作者依据了什么研究。是有实际的研究结果，还是只是本文作者的个人观点？
Donald Greene
I was fortunate enough to have used most of what I studied in college throughout my career, water, waste water, air quality, and environment operations.
Unfortunately, that rarely happens, especially in softer fields that might be interesting or fun studies, but not financially wise choices.
我很幸运，我在职业生涯中大部分时间都用到了大学里学的东西——水处理、废水处理、空气质量和环境运营。
但不幸的是，这种情况很少见，尤其是那些偏文科的专业，可能学起来有意思，但从经济角度看并不是聪明的选择。
user-sxnw3amcyq
This is refreshing.
High schools trying to increase their college acceptance rate at least 30 years ago pushing anyone literate to go to college. Society looked/looks down on people not going to college right after school (whether just taking a job to figure out life, military, or going into the trades) Transitioning from the 90s to the 00s many to most white-collar jobs required a college degree in anything, whether it was pertinent or not. It was real easy for everyone not paying for their college to force it on a generation. Even now young people are pushed to stay further in school for Masters and PhDs.
Many people thought that was the only way to make a lot of money. Now every major is oversaturated, creating hundreds of degree-carrying people for each job that requires it. It is very hard to use most degrees now right out of college and even people looking to change jobs aren't successful in switching jobs.
Let's also be honest, college is a lot easier than it used to be. Schools have to justify each failure showing how they tried to help the student pass. This creates less intense programs that are not teaching people as much. If you look at how a program was taught before the college boom then after you will see it has been simplified and much easier to pass.
I also connect the rent/housing crisis to the over-education-ing of the US. The cities with the worst rent/housing issues are all white-collar industry hubs like San Fran and Boston. After these hundreds of thousands of people get their degrees they all flock to the 10 coastal cities for work.
How many people went to college thinking they would like their major only to find out what it really is and regret it? Why do we have to know what we want to do at 18? What happened to taking jobs to learn more about a field then go to a university if your interests required further education? Now people are getting Masters and PhDs right after their 4 year degrees without ever working in that field
这一现象很新鲜。
至少 30 年前，高中就开始努力提高大学录取率，把任何会识字的学生都往大学里推。社会很鄙视那些（中学）毕业后不立刻去读大学的人（无论是先找份工作摸索人生、参军，还是进入职业领域）。从 90 年代到 2000 年代，许多甚至大多数白领工作都要求有大学学位，无论专业是否相关。那些不用自己掏学费的人，把上大学这件事强加给了一代人，这太容易了。即便是现在，年轻人还被继续推着去读硕士和博士。
很多人认为这是赚大钱的唯一途径。如今每个专业都人满为患，每个对口岗位都有几百个持学位者竞争。现在大学刚毕业，大多数专业的学位都很难派上用场，甚至想换工作的人也难以成功转行。
说实话，拿到大学文凭变得也比以前容易太多了。学校要为每个学生的挂科找理由，证明自己已经尽力帮学生通过考试了。这就导致课程难度降低，教给学生的知识变少。对比大学扩招前后的课程设置，你会发现教学内容简化了许多，也更容易通过了。
我还把房租与住房危机和美国的过度教育联系起来。房租和住房问题最严重的城市，都是旧金山、波士顿这类白领工作集中的地区。成千上万的人拿到学位后，都涌向那 10 个沿海城市找工作。
有多少人上大学时觉得自己会喜欢所选的专业，结果发现专业的真实情况后就后悔了？为什么我们 18 岁就要确定自己想做什么？先找份工作了解某个领域，再根据兴趣决定是否需要进一步进入大学深造，这种方式怎么就不行了？现在人们在拿到四年制学位后，没在相关领域工作过，就直接去读硕士和博士了。