{"id":24104,"date":"2026-04-19T22:48:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T22:48:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breatheasyloans.com\/?p=24104"},"modified":"2026-04-19T22:48:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T22:48:17","slug":"is-college-worth-it-ramsey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breatheasyloans.com\/?p=24104","title":{"rendered":"Is College Worth It? – Ramsey"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For years, we\u2019ve been told that going to college is part of the American Dream. That a degree is the golden ticket to a well-paying job and meaningful work. That it\u2019s the only way for someone to avoid missing out on their full potential.\n <\/p>\n

But folks, the narrative is changing\u2014and it\u2019s easy to see why.\n <\/p>\n

For starters, college tuition and student loans have gotten completely out of hand, with the average student loan balance sitting at $38,290.1<\/sup>\u00a0Plus, attending college doesn\u2019t give people a leg up in the professional world like it once did. It now takes graduates an average of 15 years to earn back the money they spent getting their bachelor\u2019s degree.2<\/sup>\u00a0That\u2019s insanity.\n <\/p>\n

On top of all that, more and more industries are willing to hire people without a degree. By the end of last year, 34% of companies in the U.S. had dropped college education as a requirement for all their salaried positions, and 45% reported that they don\u2019t pay employees more for a degree or certification.3<\/sup>\n <\/p>\n

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Get expert money advice to reach your money goals faster!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

This all leads to an important question, one that I hear all the time from callers on The Ken Coleman Show<\/em>: Is college worth it?\n <\/p>\n

Is College Worth It for You?<\/h2>\n

My answer to that question is . . . it depends.\n <\/p>\n

For some, going to college is absolutely the right choice\u2014and I am not anti<\/em>-college by any means. For many others, though, it\u2019s just not worth the investment of time and money.\n <\/p>\n

Luckily, there\u2019s a simple way to figure out if college is worth it for you (or for your kids, if you\u2019re reading this as a parent). You just need to ask two key questions.\n <\/p>\n

1. Is college the only <\/em>way to achieve my career goals?<\/h3>\n

Some career fields out there\u2014like law, nursing, engineering, education and medicine\u2014still require a degree. So if you\u2019re planning to work in one of those areas, you\u2019ll obviously need to go to college. If not, then college isn\u2019t the only <\/em>way to accomplish your career goals.\n <\/p>\n

Remember: 34% of companies in America don\u2019t require a degree for any of their salaried positions. Plus, another 41% say it depends on the job.4<\/sup>\u00a0Those numbers are growing every day.\n <\/p>\n

You should never assume the industry you want to join requires a degree to get in the door. Instead, go online and do some research. Find job postings for entry-level roles at companies you\u2019d like to work at one day. You may discover that \u201ccollege degree\u201d is nowhere to be found under the job requirements.\n <\/p>\n

2. Is college the best<\/em> way to achieve my career goals?<\/h3>\n

Just because college isn\u2019t required <\/em>for your field doesn\u2019t automatically mean it\u2019s a bad idea\u2014it may still be the best <\/em>option. To see if that\u2019s true, sit down and weigh all the potential paths to get where you want to go professionally.\n <\/p>\n

For example, you may be able to get qualified by:\n <\/p>\n