College Degrees No Longer Required For Good Middle Class Jobs

By Jessica Stillman


It's a scary world out there for young people looking to start their careers, and this has led to plenty of college education panic. Don't have a degree, say a host of hyperventilating pundits and extremely anxious parents, and you'll almost certainly be consigned to low-paid wage slavery and a stunted life. Weep, weep.

And while the data certainly show a large and growing gap between the earnings of those with a four-year degree and those without, and no one would argue with your worthy high school guidance counselor's advice that it's generally a good idea to go to college, all this hand-wringing can have the side effect of suggesting ALL IS LOST if somehow getting a bachelor's degree failed to work out for you.