“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” — John Dewey
I often find myself frustrated when I hear people on TV or social media diminish the value of going to college.
The argument usually goes something like this: Why spend $70,000 a year on college when you could be earning $40,000 a year working full-time instead?
Over four years, that’s $280,000 spent on college versus $160,000 earned in the workforce. A $440,000 financial swing!
Sounds convincing, doesn’t it?
Until you look beyond those first four years.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median full-time worker with only a high school diploma earns approximately $50,000 annually, compared to $82,000 for someone with a bachelor’s degree and $97,000 for someone with a master’s.
Over a hypothetical 40-year career, that’s approximately $2 million, $3.3 million, and $4 million, respectively, before taxes.
Those figures don’t account for tuition, student debt, or differences in career paths, but they certainly challenge the idea that college has no financial value.
Now, I’ll be the first to agree that the cost of college has gotten ridiculously high.
I’ll also be the first to tell university presidents that they need to do a much better job of lowering tuition and, more importantly, reducing what families actually pay out of pocket before taking out loans.
Fortunately, some institutions are starting to respond. My alma mater, Coe College, recently announced a significant tuition reduction for incoming students without sacrificing the quality of the education or experience.
Profound!
I hope this becomes a trend, particularly among smaller private colleges. It makes sense. It’s logical. And it’s long overdue.
The Real Value of College Goes Beyond the Classroom
But here’s where I think we’re missing the entire point of college.
The real value isn’t just the degree, the job opportunities, or the salary that follows.
It’s what happens to a young person during those four years.
My wife and I are raising two teenagers, ages 13 and 17. Like most parents, we’ve spent their entire lives trying to develop strengths and minimize weaknesses that could make adulthood more difficult.
We want them to have a strong work ethic. We want them to communicate confidently, look people in the eye, advocate for themselves, and treat others with respect.
We want them to understand relationships, compromise, empathy, patience, teamwork, and humility.
And we want them to know how to do their laundry, clean a bathroom, mow a lawn, use a screwdriver, and show up for work on time.
Why?
Because we want them to practice being adults while they still have the safety net of our home.
And that’s exactly where college comes in.
Think about the first experience most residential college students have: moving into a dorm room with a complete stranger.
Suddenly, they’re sharing a small room with someone who may have entirely different habits, values, beliefs, and expectations.
They have to communicate. Listen. Compromise. Establish boundaries. Solve problems. And figure out how to live happily and healthily with someone who sees the world differently.
Where might those skills come in handy?
Marriage. Relationships. Careers. Working with difficult colleagues. Living in a neighborhood full of people who don’t think or act like you.
Then they step outside that dorm room.
Where’s the library? How do I find a tutor? Who can help me get an internship? Where do I go when I’m struggling emotionally? How do I resolve a conflict with my roommate?
For the first time, Mom and Dad aren’t standing right there with the answers.
They have to figure it out.
But here’s the beauty of college.
They’re not figuring it out alone.
There are resident assistants, professors, advisors, counselors, coaches, and other professionals whose jobs include helping young people navigate these challenges.
College becomes the next safety net.
It’s bigger than home. There are fewer adults watching and a lot more young people making mistakes. But that’s the whole idea.
Parents provide the foundation. College provides the opportunity to test it, challenge it, and build upon it.
And then there’s everything that happens beyond the dorm room.
Clubs. Sports. Leadership opportunities. Internships. Study abroad. Friendships. Relationships. Difficult decisions at 2 a.m.
And those wonderful, sometimes uncomfortable conversations in residence halls, cafeterias, classrooms, and grassy spots beneath a tree on the quad.
Conversations about religion, politics, history, humanity, civil rights, philosophy, and what kind of world we want to live in.
Young people discovering that intelligent, thoughtful, good-hearted people can see the exact same issue in completely different ways.
Where else do we intentionally bring together thousands of young adults from different backgrounds, cultures, communities, and beliefs and ask them to learn, live, and grow together?
That’s powerful.
And we haven’t even talked about the classroom.
Every day, college students have access to professional educators, researchers, writers, scientists, thinkers, and analysts who have dedicated their careers to understanding and teaching their disciplines.
They’re learning literature, history, business, science, mathematics, philosophy, psychology, technology, the arts, communication, and human behavior. They’re developing critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
They’re learning not just what to think, but hopefully how to think…and not the way politicians like to scare us with. College kids learn to think in a hundred different ways, see the value in every debate and argument, and then make the best decision based on their personal beliefs and values.
And for students pursuing careers in medicine, law, education, engineering, and countless other professions, that specialized education isn’t simply valuable. It’s essential.
But even for students who never work a day in the field they studied, the experience can change how they understand themselves, other people, and the world around them.
As I discussed in last week’s blog, Why Goldilocks Would Have Been a Great Recruit, finding the right college really isn’t about the major or the scholarship or that pie-in-the-sky dream school. It’s about finding the right environment where a young person can truly thrive.
And that brings me back to the argument that started this conversation.
Yes, college is expensive. Too expensive.
Yes, there are outstanding careers that don’t require a four-year degree. We should celebrate those pathways, too.
And yes, we absolutely need to hold colleges and universities accountable for affordability, student outcomes, and the quality of the education they provide.
But reducing the value of college to four years of tuition versus four years of wages is an incredibly narrow way to evaluate one of the most transformative experiences a young person can have.
We spend 18 years preparing our children to leave home. College gives many of them four more years to learn how to live without us, while still surrounded by people invested in helping them succeed.
That’s not just career preparation.
That’s life preparation.
And maybe that’s the question we should be asking when we debate the value of college.
Not simply, “How much will this degree help my child earn?”
But, “Who will my child become because of this experience?”
Because the paycheck matters. The cost matters. The degree matters.
But the person who walks across that graduation stage matters so much more.
That’s the real value of college.
Find the Right College for Your Student
Finding the right college isn’t just about getting accepted. It’s about finding a place where your child can thrive academically, socially, personally, and financially.
Schedule a College Assessment with me. We’ll discuss your student’s academic interests, career goals, college preferences, potential college options, and opportunities to maximize scholarships and financial aid. Together, we’ll identify the next steps toward finding a college that’s the right fit for your student and affordable for your family.
For more conversations about preparing young people for college and life beyond high school, visit The Significant Coaching Podcast.
