The Peril of Going to College

The case for college is compelling — but those benefits only arrive if college goes well. For too many students, it does not.

More than half, 51%, of those polled by Strada Education and Gallup said they chose the wrong school or major. A quarter of college graduates told USA Today they wish they had skipped college altogether. More than 40% of graduates in their 20s are working in jobs outside their field, in jobs that do not even require a college degree, according to the Pew Research Center. Only 55% are working in degree-required jobs a decade after graduating.

Then there is the dropout crisis. A quarter of freshmen drop out. Only 62% of students graduate within six years. Thirty-seven million people entered college but left without a degree. Every one of those people is saddled with years of lost income they spent in school, plus the student debt they accumulated – with nothing to show for it.

The mental health toll is equally alarming. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that 49% of college students have been diagnosed with or treated for depression. Among those with student loans, the depression rate is 79%, according to the 2024 National College Health Assessment. More than 24,000 college students attempt suicide every year, and 1,100 die. Reported rates of bullying, sexual harassment, cyberbullying, discrimination and hazing on campuses are staggering.

College has the potential to transform a life. It also has the potential to ruin one. Which outcome you get depends heavily on the decisions you make before you ever set foot on a campus.