May is here, and it’s that time of year again when Summit High School seniors must make decisions that will have far-reaching implications for their lives. What to do next? The choices are the same every year (if doing nothing and playing video games in your parents’ basement isn’t an option): (1) Get a job. (2) Join the military. (3) Start a business. or (4) continue education (university/commerce). In my case, I was told I was going to college when I was in kindergarten, and that was the path I chose to become the first person on either side of my family to attend and graduate from college. For me, it was all worth it, from the education to the friendships to the overall higher economic status I gained. But is it still worth it?
If you are a Colorado resident, it will take quite a while. For the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 2024 tuition and fees are $67,932. This does not include living expenses such as books, food, clothing, and shelter. You can save a few bucks at the University of Denver ($59,340) or Regis University (Denver) ($43,980). Of course, these are private schools, and tuition at major public universities is more “reasonable” at $16,430 (CU Boulder) and $12,896 (CSU Fort Collins). Colorado Mountain College offers an even better deal when it comes to tuition, as it is approximately 50% cheaper than the two major universities. If you don’t want to get a four-year degree, you can reduce costs by attending a community college. Finally, the cost to attend an Aveda Institute (hair salon) is $21,150, so don’t think that attending a trade school is a cheaper alternative.
I mentioned cost because it is the most important. Unless you come from a wealthy, giving family, you’re probably going to have a hard time figuring out how to pay for all of your expenses. Unlike most of the civilized world, which subsidizes college education, the United States prefers its students to graduate with debt, sometimes a lot of debt. For students graduating with a degree in engineering, computer science, or any of her six-figure fields, debt is not a big problem. However, the average starting salary for a 2024 college graduate is $55,260. This is an average and means starting salaries in many fields are very low. For example, early childhood and elementary school teachers are often ranked at the bottom of the hierarchy along with school counselors, and we as a society value hedge fund managers much more highly than those who spend their time supporting and educating our children. This proves once again that this is the case. Moreover, getting a college degree is not the only path to wealth. Of the approximately 700 billionaires in the United States, 24 have graduated from high school but have never taken a college class. College certainly plays a role in a person’s growth and success, according to Jimmy John Riotau, who founded Jimmy John’s and is worth about $1.7 billion. Make people successful. ” He’s right.
So, is college worth it? The answer depends on how you define “value.” If you are looking for a career in an industry or profession that requires a college degree, the decision has been made and it’s time to move on to step two. Which school? But many of us of all ages don’t know what we want to do now or in the future. So how is it best to consider it today, especially when the upfront costs and back-end debt burden can be scary at best and a deal breaker at worst?
Unlike most Americans who prefer to go big or go home, it’s okay to start slow. With the ease of taking classes online or locally, it’s never been easier to try out a few classes while you’re studying to see if they’re a good fit for you.
There are still many reasons to attend a four-year college. Higher lifetime earnings, more career options, personal growth, and alumni networks (in no particular order) are four reasons often cited. Once you have decided to enroll, you need to decide which school to attend. For most Colorado residents, financing a private school education is too much of a financial burden to manage, even with grants and scholarships, leaving them choosing one of the public universities. Sho.
From bans on what is taught in certain states to the protests happening on many campuses today, it’s a crazy time to think about attending college. But if you want a broader educational experience, it’s easy to avoid public schools in Florida, Texas, Utah, and Tennessee. And for decades, students have been protesting over free speech, civil rights, war, and injustice. Oddly enough, it’s the same thing that’s being raised now, when the limits of the First Amendment are being called into question.
Whatever decision you make, know that it is not permanent and can and will change in the future. And while we express love for the college path of those who decide to take this opportunity, please understand that the choice is yours and there are several other options. And you may decide to start a business that will become the next Jimmy John’s.
Scott M. Estill’s column, “Challenges, Choices, Change,” appears every other Thursday in the Summit Daily News. Estill is an attorney, author, and speaker who lives in Dillon when he is not traveling or attending legal matters in Denver. Please contact scott@scottestill.com.
