Is going to a four year college right out of high school a waste of money.... or the best decision you have ever made?

Good Question! I'll echo the others and say "it depends". They say that other than owning a home, a higher education is the best investment you'll ever make. It increases your earning potential 3x or more. However, a lot of people make that decision: "community college/4-year straight from high school" mostly based on finances, and I think that that is unwise.

Ask yourself:

Am I committed/mentally ready to be away from home and still be accountable for keeping a schedule, doing the work, keeping my eye on the end-goal and making the best use of this opportunity?

What kinds of work am I interested in doing? What qualifications/education/skills does this job/field of work require?

There is a fantastic resource where you can search careers and find out what education is needed, what the day to day looks like, what personality characteristics are common for that position, what the average person in that position makes. This website will show you careers you didn't even know existed, it's a gold mine of information: https://www.onetonline.org/

It's managed with the Department of Labor, it's the real deal, accurate information.

I've worked in Higher Education for 11 years, and for 5 of them my entire life was dedicated to college freshmen at a 4-year institution. I was a Residence Director for a building of 1,500 freshmen, I lived with them, guided them, provided them a community and a warm welcoming living environment so they had the support system that allowed them to do well in their academics. I know a lot about the "freshmen experience", there's nothing like it. Here are some things to think about:

The Pros for the 4-year straight from high school:

Students who live on-campus for their first two years perform better academically, are less likely to "drop out" and have a higher chance of completing their degree in 4 years instead of 5+.

A huge part of success at college is what happens outside of the classroom. Those who live-on, or are the traditional straight out of high school make more use of the resources available to them. This includes internships, scholarships, research opportunities, and clubs/activities.

These clubs/activities are essential, one of the biggest predictors of college success is finding a niche, i.e. a close group of people who share the same passions as you, serve as your friends and support system during school, and are the 1st level of your professional network.

Those who go the 4-year route and live-on campus have a larger network because they had more opportunities to interact with students outside of the classroom.

The BIG Con:

The drop-out rate of straight out of high school college freshmen, in their first year, is 35-40%. That's right, if you're not ready there is a large chance you'll drop out and waste a lot of money. This is why the "am I committed..." question is essential.

Pros of Community College First:

There definitely is a financial pro.

You're going to have exposure to more trade-based program options, some that are very high paying and really interesting that are not offered at a 4-year.

Those who transfer after a year of experience elsewhere approach their academics differently than others, there is more commitment, more appreciation of value, in some cases, even better grades etc.

They have the gen ed done or almost done, so they get an opportunity to spend more time on their courses of interest and potentially have more opportunities to interact with other students/faculty in their desired field right away once they arrive. Efficiency in who their network is, people who share their interests.

If you opt this route, it is essential that you: place a high priority on networking outside of class, through volunteering, student organizations, internships. I know that a lot of non-traditional students are commuting and/or working, but building that niche is almost like an off-set to missing the first year or two of the traditional experience. Also, make it a point to use the campus resources, especially academic advising and career services.

Here are some personal stories for people who took different paths:

My family grew up in a low-income area in the middle of nowhere where the closest community college is a 45 minute drive, i.e. very limited access to educational opportunities.

Me, straight out of high school to a 4 year, 4 hours from home, did well, got a masters, etc. --- this is very rare for my community.

1: Went to community college for a year did terribly and ended up joining the service and learning a trade. Now works for a private company and makes 6 figures.

2: Went to beauty school and focuses on family.

3: Went straight out of high school to a 4 year and failed out in the first year. Now works a trade and also makes more money than me.

4: Went to community college for 2 years, transfered to a 4-year, completed a masters in a science field. Currently working in real estate and preparing for a Physician Assistant program.

5: Did community college for 1 year, transfered to a 4-year, is a senior and doing very well, high GPA. They have a huge network even though they are very shy because they joined an intramural team.

6: Went straight into a trade program, tried it, didn't like it, now studying for a second trade program.

Good examples of "it depends".

Hi, Savannah, I agree that the answer to your question has no right or wrong answer. It truly depends on how well you know yourself and your situation. If you know that you will likely not go back to college once you start working, then go straight to college and begin exploring what avenues are available re: field of study, funding, career. BUT ... if you feel you may not be ready yet, no point in spending all that money going to university or college -- full time junior college may be a better transition for you.

With my kids, I had one go straight (he was totally ready) and one go to JuCo first (she started at 4yr college and realized she didn't want to spend her time at her 2nd choice college so she opted to do junior college and get her grades up to re-apply at her first choice, and transferred). Not going to lie, it is HARD going to college after you've been working, too -- I always admired my dad for doing that. He was already a senior manager in IT but went back to JuCo to finish his AA degree. Many a night he worked a long full day, commuted home, spent time with his family before cracking open the books to study or attend night classes.

Another thing to consider is that you will be much older than the average student attending classes at college/university if you postpone going to college. This can be a benefit with more life experience under your belt, but if the college experience is most important to you (over career preparation or academic fulfillment) then you might consider if you'd really enjoy the experience going back to college as an adult.

A college degree IS valuable and I highly recommend it for most people and careers, but it does depend on the person and the career path with regard to exactly HOW IMPORTANT that degree really is. Sometimes, the degree is merely a tick point on a resume to show that you have a college education and that you had enough grit and dedication to complete 4 years. In other situations, you may be starting a bit later in the career journey than those who apprenticed earlier.

So ... LONG EXPLANATION to your short question. :)