Why is there a push for everyone to go to college? Why bother getting non technical degrees?

In the future robots will replace humans when it comes to most trades. Brains > labor.

But lucky for you, we're not that technically advanced yet so in this lifetime you could do well doing trades.

The economy is driving this mentality. I also know plenty of people making $60-70K/yr as laborers, truck drivers, & mechanics. Then when you hear about the people graduating college with more debt than they can handle flipping burgers, it does make you stop n' think, eh?

Oh, Mr. Ben, your generalization is of the worse kind. It would be impossible for you substantiate your claim as to this "push" for all high school graduates to attend college. The statistics indicate reality. Out of each 1,000 high school freshmen class in the USA only 78% graduate. Of the 100% of students that graduate only 66% enter colleges and universities. My calculator indicates that of each 1,000 new freshmen class, 50% enter a college or university. Of each 100 new college students about 35 flunk, quit or are expelled by the end of the first semester or first year. Of each 65 students that continue about 38% graduate in four years and 58% graduate in six years. The 2% gap is not explained in the statistics. Then, it get worse as to who is employed in the area or field of study. When you waddle down all of the numbers, what you end up with a fraction of each high school freshmen class actually end up working in the area of study. The push you write about is that all students should consider college or professional degrees as no one knows at the ages of 14 to 18 what would be their interest as to work, There are exceptions, of course. Since nothing is set, the economy drives the training and education both as to a degree or vocational school. However, farming requires a degree, all types of farming from plants to animals due to the technology and business model complexity. And who knows what is in the future? Did you that Tesla the car company of electric cars was build from nothing? Computer hardware and software, new types, were needed. Both vocational and professional degrees were needed. And marketing and advertising and legal work and public relations and people to raise money and deal with all 50 state and one federal government. Business people have degrees, They also need accountants and so many other areas of work. The fact is that most people work without a college degree or not in the field they studied. But the training and experiences in college is valuable as to how to use the brain, how to detect trends and how to work the magic of business. The vacuum cleaner brand, Dyson, is named for the engineer who designed and build this type of vacuum cleaner. He could not get a dime from bankers because he was an engineer! Did that stop him? No. He found out what was needed and now is a multi billionaire but not as an engineer but as a business man, an entrepreneur. Some how you wrote "phds" which is incredibly incorrect. You wrote sentences separate by a comma, which is incredibly incorrect. As to a degree in "philosophy" I have assume you mean the Ph.D. or Doctor of Philosophy. That is a generic term from the rise of education hundreds of years ago. Lawyers have a Ph.D in Jurisprudence. They are "Doctors of Philosophy in Jurisprudence." This has nothing to do with the subject of "philosophy." The term Bachelor's Degree in whatever also dates from that time when there was no high school and boys went to these colleges at ages 14 or so and were "bachelors" as they were children. The term Bacherlor's Degree in Art has nothing to do with "art." If the subject is not scientific the degree is in "arts." It the subject is scientific, the degree in in science. So, if your opinion is that some kids are "forced" to attend college, then do realize that these kids shall probably fail. College is not a destination. Perhaps that explains the 35% drop out rate. No to worrry. There shall be always someone to drive a tow truck to take cars to a vocationally trained auto technician who shall get parts from the high school graduate parts specialist at the warehouse that gets parts via a truck driven by not even a high school graduate, also loaded by the same full of parts designed and tested by engineers on factories designed by engineers but run by high school graduates, cleaned by those that flunk out and, well, the story goes on. You need to just focus on yourself and not by others.

I agree that too many people are going to college, but you clearly don't know much about academia or PhD's, so you probably shouldn't comment. I hold a PhD and am well employed, as are many of my friends and colleagues. That doesn't even include all of the people I know who majored in "non-technical" fields but went on to earn professional degrees and forge very successful careers.

By the way, I didn't come from a rich family, but I attended two Ivy League universities on extremely generous financial aid, and I didn't graduate with much debt. If you're smart, you can get into the sort of university or college with a vast amount of financial aid available.

If you're not that smart, you should reconsider your options.

What about accountants and engineers? or nurses? Those degrees are definitely still worth it. We're only having this debate about the perceived lack of value in a college education because we have too many people majoring in subjects that have no career or job possibilities. You rarely hear an engineer complain that a college education is worthless. Too many people doing worthless liberal arts degrees is the problem here.

There really isn't room for half the people to work with only a high school education either. That means that you have less skills, having learned general things. People are pushed towards college because it allows them to specialize in higher-skilled jobs in fields that we need.

I agree, though, if you're not cut out for college, you're not suited to it and you shouldn't go under massive debt and waste your time. If anyone thinks technical school is right for them, they should do it. I'm tired of people being told that they MUST go to college when they wouldn't do well there and would drop out, but I'm also tired of being pushed toward technical school. Technical school isn't right for me, but that doesn't mean it's not right for others out there. I do also agree that if everyone has a college degree, it's worthless. If only the people who want to pursue higher education and want those jobs go to college, it would be a lot more valuable. Now, you can't tell anything by the fact that a person went to college.

There are not enough jobs in the economy to accommodate every high school student (especially of the lesser skilled kinds that high school grads can do) so they are pushed toward college, and degrees in fields that society needs. This is the same driver that tries to get lots of high schoolers into the military if they are not college bound.

During WWII there was FULL employment, and even 17 y o's could get jobs in factories, manufacturing, etc.

Don't worry, you don't need a degree... Everyone has their place in society and the world needs burger flippers. ;)