re: The argument that the US college system is largely a scam

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Depends on your degree. People in engineering at LSU can spend less over their 4 year program than they will make in their first year in their career. That’s a damn good value

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You could substitute any accredited engineering program and probably be right provided there are jobs available. Which is almost always true if you are willing to relocate. and don't have a petroleum engineering degree at the wrong time.

Engineering has been kind to me and my degree is from USL, though my mentor was an LSU grad.

Funny thing is, if you remember the Occupy Wall Street movement from a few years back, this whole skyrocketing price of college gets more absurd.

They were protesting the banking industry taking advantage of young people and minorities. I was always curious as to who could afford the time to protest, they spent months protesting Wall Street.

Well, it turns out that the most common occupation for these protesters was College professor that was on sabbatical. Hmmm......guess who set up the banks to rip off all these young people and minorities---Colleges with their expensive tuition.

Seems like they could have cut out the middle man and protested themselves.

In some ways I think it has become that way. When I graduated HS in 97, you pretty much had to have a degree. You couldn't find a decent job that didn't have "4 year degree required". It didn't matter what type of degree, there was a lot of value in the fact that you went to college and worked towards earning your degree.

If you didn't get a degree, you either had a connection to get a job where you would start at the very bottom and work your way up or you were working on the ferry or mowing grass for the state, on the levee.

Today, unless you are going to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, teacher, architect, be a journalist or have a job in media (but you can have success in this broad industry without a degree, it's just best to get one).. I might be missing 1 or 2 other professions, but outside of that, you will make a better living going get some type of trade.

But where I think people can get scammed is from all of the online degrees that are out there. These places like Southeast New Hampshire State University Online (not sure if that's what it is, I do know it's something New Hampshire), I don't see how that appeals to people. I understand earning a degree online is helpful to people who want to get their degree but can't give up their job..

But to some degree, I have to imagine there are going to be people who will not put much value in someone who has a degree from somewhere that sounds like a bootleg degree. Phoenix seems like is one of the more credible places to get an online degree, but I think there needs to be a redesign within the whole education system in this country.

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I mean yeah college Textbooks are like $340

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Which is crazy because I recently published in a text book and won’t make anything from it.

As someone who is almost 40 and has been taking night, online, and a couple of classes at the actual university of Houston campus, I can honestly testify to this. I have an associates and never finished a bachelors. I decided to go back for a project management degree since that is what I do.

There are certain classes or at least core requirement classes that I have had to take that literally make me furious! The justification is of a well rounded education, but for someone who has been in the workforce for over 20 years I can just shake my head and realize that it is just a money scam.

For every class that is worth something there are two that they make you take that are an absolute joke with their basis for any job. I had to take a class that took philosophy principles and made you turn sentences into symbols....symbols!

For instance, Janet likes Jello. J -> J. Then you progressed over the semester to philosophical principals where you would have a dozen breakdown of different symbols

I had to leave work every day and travel to university of Houston main campus to take this shite for a 4 to 515 class then drive 2.5 hours during peek traffic time home to Katy tx all because some liberal douche thought this was important for my education.

Another class was full of kids that of course are so woke and progressive but and they honestly expect the working world of Houston Texas to agree with them. I can’t wait to see them meltdown.

There are a couple more examples but I don’t want to bore you in more than I already have.

I am in my last semester and graduate in December and it will be the best day ever. I’m glad I did it, but my god they did not make it easy

Lifetime earnings.

2.29 million starting with 2500 monthly pay ($30k annual) for 40 years with annual 3% raise, no college.

2.93 million with 4166 monthly pay ($50k annual) for 34 years, with 6 years of college.

About a $70k difference over an entire working lifetime.

But that degree cost more than $70k. So you actually lose. But at least you get to work at a desk, I guess.

Havent seen Stossel in years

Neither one of those links suggests there is too much demand for supply.

Your first link is about students already enrolled trying to get into classes.

Try again. There is no student that can’t find a school. My god, how many threads are there about shutting down worthless colleges.

Link for common occupation. Thanks.