They say it just isn’t worth the money to attend higher education.
SAN ANTONIO — College or bust? Many Gen Zerzs are saying college just isn’t worth the money anymore. As college costs rise the younger generation of graduates are ditching college classes for blue-collar bucks.
According to several surveys Americans are losing faith in the return on investment of a college degree. Another hiccup is AI, making many students fear the impact of that could affect their career prospects.
“A lot of people are kind of concerned about the thought of AI and how it’s going to impact the workplace and it’ll likely impact all types of areas. When we asked tradespeople what they thought about it they weren’t too concerned about how AI may impact their trade,” said Angie Hicks, the co-founder of Angie’s List, now called Angi.
In a recent Gallup poll, only about one out of three said they had a great deal of confidence in higher education. That’s down from more than half in 2015.
A 2024 Pew Research study found about one out of five U.S. adults said taking a loan out for college was worth it. And a 2025 Indeed survey found the average Gen Zer has about $23,000 in student debt which many feel just isn’t worth carrying.
“I know tons of people that make over $100,000 a year every day just doing a trade, doing what they love,” said Roger Wakefield, a Texas master plumber and trades influencer.
GOBankingRates found some of the highest-paying blue-collar jobs include electronics repairers making about $67,000 a year.
Construction and building inspectors averaging near $68,000 a year.
Railroad workers pulling in about $75,000 a year.
At the top of the list elevator technicians, raking in an average of $102,000 a year!
Wakefield added, “By 2027 there’s gonna be two million unfilled trade jobs in the United States. What’s gonna happen is that’s gonna lead to a bigger supply and demand issue. I think plumbers are gonna be making $100 an hour on the check.”
“For most Americans our home is our largest investment. We’re gonna want to keep them up. There’s going to be demand for home improvement tasks. It’s a really great career path that has meaningful work and flexibility and it pays well,” Hicks said,