Nearly half of Gen Z and millennials say college was a waste of money—AI has already made degrees obsolete — from fortune.com by Preston Fore

College is often advertised as the best four years of one’s life, but many Americans now have regrets.

More than a third of all graduates now say their degree was a “waste of money,” according to a new survey by Indeed. This frustration is especially pronounced among Gen Z, with 51% expressing remorse—compared to 41% of millennials and just 20% of baby boomers.

Overall, a growing share of college-educated workers are questioning the return on investment (ROI) of their degree, Kyle M.K., a career trend expert at Indeed, told Fortune. It’s something that’s not all too surprising considering that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree has doubled in the last two decades to over $38,000, and total student loan debt has ballooned to nearly $2 trillion.

“Another 38% feel student loans have limited their career growth more than their diploma has accelerated it,” M.K. said.

“AI won’t invalidate a solid education, but it will reward those who keep upgrading their toolkit.”

Average Cost of College & Tuition — from educationdata.org
Last Updated: March 8, 2025

Report Highlights. The average cost of college* in the United States is $38,270 per student per year, including books, supplies, and daily living expenses.

  • The average cost of college has more than doubled in the 21st century; the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of tuition is 4.04%.
  • The average in-state student attending a public 4-year institution and living on-campus spends $27,146 for one academic year.
  • The average cost of in-state tuition alone is $9,750; out-of-state tuition averages $28,386.
  • The average private, nonprofit university student spends $58,628 per academic year living on campus, $38,421 of it on tuition and fees.
  • Considering student loan interest and loss of income, investing in a bachelor’s degree can ultimately cost in excess of $500,000.

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From DSC:
Reminds me of a graphic that Yohan Na and I created back in 2009:
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