Is College Necessary for Success?

Families are stronger when one parent or both has enough education and/or training to provide the basic necessities and some luxuries for their family, and stronger families strengthen their communities, states, and nations.

There is an ongoing debate about the importance of college in the lives of young people today. Charlie Kirk became famous for having said that a person can become successful without a college education. He enrolled at a university but dropped out after the first semester because he was bored. He became famous as well as success in his chosen career.

Charlie was correct to a degree: some people can become successful without the benefit of a college education. However, such people are extraordinary in their talents and capabilities. For example, Charlie Kirk was highly intelligent with effective communication skills and a likeable personality. His good looks and positive attitude were also helpful. He could have been successful in any number of fields.

Mike Rowe is another man who claims that a college degree is not necessary for success. However, he has a college degree, graduating in 1985 from Towson University with a degree in communication. He is now a successful television host and narrator. He became famous with his “Dirty Jobs” television program. His emphasis is on the fact that college is not the only route to success. 

A person can be extraordinarily successful in any number of careers without college. However, most people need some type of training. Alaska, and all of America, is highly in need of plumbers, carpenters, electricians, and many other skills, and such jobs pay good money and can be called successful.  

The bottom line is that college is not for everyone. Nevertheless, I advocate for gaining all the education that one can get. My long-time readers know that I invested ten years in obtaining a college degree at the age of 80 years. My degree is one that could help me to earn a good living, but it is mostly used as a stepping stone to a master’s degree in counseling.

I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to gain more education. Although my degree is in marriage and family studies, I also took classes in DNA, American studies, world studies, math for life, various religion classes, and even family history. My outlook on life changed because of my education, and I am well aware that it would have been extremely helpful throughout my life rather than as a capstone on my life.

This all brings me to a recent national poll finding that “A majority Americans no longer feel pursuing a college degree is worthwhile.” Indeed, “Almost two-thirds of registered voters say that a four-year college degree doesn’t justify the cost, according to an NBC News report.” 

There are ways to gain an education without spending two or three hundred thousand dollars. I earned my degree entirely online and probably paid less than $5,000 over the ten-year period. Community colleges or state universities are much less expensive than the large and famous universities, such as Harvard and Princeton.

In addition to seeking education at a less prestigious institution, a student who wants their degree to be worthwhile should seek education in a field that pays better. A degree in business or in the field of health will be more worthwhile than a degree in many other fields. Hint: If the degree develops political activists, it will not pay well enough to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans.

Wise parents will encourage their children to do well in education from the time they begin school until they graduate from university or other training programs. I remember the many times that I encouraged my own children to do well in school. I told them that it was their job to do well. I knew that my children were above average in intelligence, and I expected them to use their intelligence wisely. All of my children have college degrees, and most of them have post-graduate degrees. None of them have ever lived in poverty or been without a job because they were not adequately educated or experienced.

I belong to a church – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – that teaches that education is commandment. We are taught that we should gain all the education that we can get. You may wonder about the reason for this commandment. Well, it is simple: We can take our knowledge into the next life and use it there for our benefit and the benefit of others.