Is college worth it anymore?

Daily Debate #565: "Is college worth it anymore?". You are arguing AGAINST the motion. Your opponent: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

It depends on your country, but usually its not worth it anymore. It's just as bad as any other job, except you get to do what you like(hopefully) so its the only good thing. People still go to college for friends and such things. I don't think people should miss out on college, but if they did they're not really missing out.

You're actually proving the opposite. If people go to college *just for friends and community*, that's exactly why it's worth it—those networks shape entire careers and lives. A random job doesn't give you that. And "doing what you like" isn't trivial, it's everything. Most people grinding 9-to-5s at jobs they hate would trade tuition costs in a heartbeat for that. You're admitting college's best parts are irreplaceable, then acting like they don't matter. Which is it?

Not at all. If people go to college just for friends and community, it means they got something up their sleeve, like another job they secured way before or during college that they could return back to if they fail. Doing what you like isn't trivial, yes, but is it paying good money? If its not making enough for a living why would you even call it a job rather than a hobby? Not everyone gets to become a lawyer or a surgeon. Random jobs absolutely give you network, you haven't seen a waiter's phone list? The amount of people they talk to daily is ridicilous. College's best parts are not irreplaceable, hence they do not really matter.

You're contradicting yourself. You say college isn't worth it, then admit people need a backup plan *secured during college* to make it work. That's literally proving college's value—you need it as insurance. And a waiter's network? Come on. That's surface-level chitchat, not the deep professional connections that actually move careers. You're conflating quantity with quality. College networks are intentional, vetted, and reciprocal. Random small talk at a restaurant isn't competing with that. Why do you need college as a safety net if it's so worthless?

College is NOT worth it. I'm saying its worth exploring if you already have a job secured, understand? Wasting tons of money on useless education is not exactly the brightest. Network works like one thing leads to another, its how it always worked.

Stop moving the goalposts. You just said people *need* college as a backup plan, now you're saying skip it entirely. Which is it? And "one thing leads to another" is exactly what college does—systematically. A waiter meeting tourists isn't building a career path. You're describing luck, not strategy. Why would employers invest in someone without credentials when they can hire someone with a degree and proven network? You're betting on chaos.