Do You Need a College Degree to Be Successful? Not Necessarily

Will going to college guarantee you a six-figure salary? No.

If you scroll through social media, especially in the business and motivation sections, you'll see countless influencers claiming that college is a scam, that you’ll be indoctrinated by liberal professors, or that you’ll end up with $100,000 in student loan debt for a job that pays only $50,000.

In some cases, these concerns are valid. I know people who are worse off after college or, at best, no better than when they started. I've met students who majored in criminal justice with dreams of working in federal law enforcement, only to end up working security at a bank. I’ve also seen psychology graduates return to school for a nursing degree, because they were unaware that most psychology careers require at least a master’s degree. These same students often discover that nursing isn’t what they expected, with long shifts and working nights, weekends, and holidays.

Despite these realities, I still believe that for most people, especially those from working-class backgrounds, a college degree can be a powerful tool for upward social mobility. For someone earning $25,000 a year in a precarious job, transitioning to a stable, full-time position with benefits and a $60,000 salary is a significant improvement.

The truth is, college is like everything else in life—you get out what you put in. When you start college, it’s crucial to have a clear vision of why you're there and what you're pursuing. You need to understand the career you want, the requirements for that career, the major you need to choose, and the courses you must take to graduate in two or four years, depending on your starting point. While this may sound simple, many people lack the guidance or resources to begin this journey with clarity.

At Advising The Way, we’re here to provide that guidance—not just in helping you choose the “right” career or major, but in equipping you with the tools and resources you need to navigate the path ahead. We help you understand the decisions that lie ahead so that you can be successful in reaching your goals.

As the saying goes, “Success is never guaranteed, but neither is failure. What matters is the effort you put in and the persistence to keep going.”

-JL