The Great College Myth
Written By Josh Doyle
A young construction worker studies blueprints on-site, fully engaged in the technical problem-solving that defines skilled trade work. It’s the kind of moment that rarely makes it into a college brochure, yet it captures a form of intelligence we too often overlook: reading a plan, translating it into three dimensions, understanding how systems fit together, and making real-time decisions that keep a project on track. This is what mastery looks like when knowledge is applied—not just learned—and when the hands and the mind work together.
Shattering the Stigma of Vocational Work and Reclaiming Real Purpose
Twenty years ago, Forbes magazine published an interview with Charles Schwab’s mother, where she remarked that she didn’t want her son "installing carpet for the rest of his life"—a statement born out of seeing him struggle in school and being told he would never be a good student, leaving her understandably upset because she knew he had great potential and did not want his options limited. As it turned out, Charles Schwab was dyslexic, and to his enormous credit, he went on to build a financial empire while becoming exceptionally generous in helping others with learning differences. While his success speaks for itself and I am certainly not being critical of Mrs. Schwab's maternal protectiveness, the manner in which Forbes framed her quote was fundamentally myopic and elitist, doing a disservice to everyone—especially the millions of people who work hard for a living in essential trades.
Growing up, my exposure to higher education was constant. I was, in many ways, a "higher ed brat." My father was a humanities professor with a Ph.D. from Harvard, and my mother was a book dealer. In our home, college was simply the given trajectory. Other options were never really discussed; it was just assumed by all of us that I would head down a traditional academic path, likely centered around the humanities.
I am dyslexic too. To be clear, I am glad I went to college and graduate school, and I found a way to make it work. But by no means do I feel I took the "better" road.
To this day, I deeply appreciate the support my family gave me, as college was by no means easy for me, but I am certainly not traumatized by the experience. If anything, pushing through it gave me far more grit and resilience than many of my peers; in fact, I found the "real world" rather easy compared to school. Still, my generation was sold a single, rigid narrative: the only legitimate key to success was procuring a traditional four year college degree.
Sold a Story: Does College Always Pay Off?
When I struggled in high school, my parents and I interviewed at a specialized boarding school for students with dyslexia. At the time, we found it deeply inspiring. It felt like unlocking the potential of students who might become the next Albert Einstein or Leonardo da Vinci. It’s a romantic notion. But there was one line from the admissions director that I still remember as clear as day:
"We are bound and determined that one of our students will one day be accepted to Harvard."
I am sure there are people who would defend that statement, viewing it as an inspirational rallying cry to show the world that a person with dyslexia has the ability to be accepted to Harvard. But I would counter that plenty of people with dyslexia have already gone to Harvard.
Years later, when I became an admissions director at a boarding school myself, I reflected back on that moment and knew I would never say something like that to a prospective family. While meant to be inspiring at face value, it was, in many respects, a profound disservice. It framed ultimate success and validation as something conferred solely by an Ivy League acceptance, completely ignoring the countless individuals who never set foot on an Ivy League campus, yet found deep meaning, happiness, and made immense contributions to the world.
Across the board, virtually all schools, whether public, private, or specialized, have fallen dramatically short in providing trade and vocational exposure. This is not just an issue for students with learning differences; it impacts all students. The root cause is simple: schools are overwhelmingly judged, ranked, and marketed by their college acceptance rates rather than their ability to build overall competency in life or prepare young people for meaningful employment.
Let’s be honest: telling prospective parents "our school prepares your child for life" is often treated as a lousy marketing strategy. Schools know that if they don't slap "College Prep" on their front door and brag about a 100% college placement rate, families will simply take their tuition dollars or tax dollars elsewhere, never mind the actual wants, needs, spatial talents, or hands on strengths of the child. For decades, this commercial and institutional pressure has forced schools across the nation to push every kid down a four year academic pipeline, conditioning everyone to view blue collar trades as a "consolation prize" or a failure of ambition, a mindset we desperately need to dismantle for everyone, regardless of gender.
We were sold a story that college always pays off. But the numbers tell a very different story:
● Zero ROI Degrees: According to research from the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP), nearly 30% of bachelor’s degree programs, and almost half of master's programs, yield a negative or zero net financial return on investment after factoring in tuition costs and lost working years.
● Skills Over Degrees: Employers are waking up. Studies show that 81% of employers now prioritize demonstrated skills over traditional degrees, with 72% stating that a college degree is no longer a reliable indicator of job readiness.
● The Tech Illusion: Remember when Silicon Valley told every student that writing code was the undeniable path to the future? Today, with rapid advances in AI and automation, an entry level degree in generic coding is looking an awful lot like a degree in Ancient Greek.
The "Academic Competency" Rebuttal vs. Applied Learning
Whenever you challenge the traditional academic pipeline, defenders of the status quo bring out their favorite rebuttal: "Well, young people need foundational academic competency first so they can handle complex vocational jobs later."
To be completely explicit, foundational academics matter. Nobody is suggesting that a nurse can deliver quality patient care without first learning core anatomy and physiology, or that an electrician can apply Ohm's Law without arithmetic fluency. We must assume a PreK–12 education where students build solid competencies in math and literature—developing a practical, working proficiency that clearly moves beyond elementary mechanics, without expecting them to analyze systems like an engineer. However, while it is never too late to learn a craft, waiting until after high school graduation to give young people their first real taste of technical training is a profound missed opportunity for early exposure and perspective. Without early exposure in high school to ignite that initial spark, far too many bright, talented young people drift through their secondary years without direction, purpose, or academic motivation. There is something truly wonderful about watching adolescents in trade and technical classes—students who might otherwise be checked out in a standard lecture—become completely absorbed, focused, and deeply engaged in their work. High school trade exposure doesn't replace foundational learning; it gives it immediate meaning.
In fact, for many students, those foundational steps can actually be taught in real time alongside hands-on technical experience, giving them the direct exposure they need to find genuine meaning and purpose in why subjects like algebra and geometry actually matter. Human minds—especially kinesthetic, spatially gifted, and neurodivergent minds—absorb complex advanced concepts best when they are tied directly to real-world context.
The truth is that vocationally talented individuals are far more able, willing, and ready to master advanced algebra, physics, reading comprehension, and physical system mechanics when they are actively doing the work.
Teaching an 18-year-old high-level physics on a whiteboard in an abstract lecture hall feels like a chore, and for many, it goes in one ear and out the other. But show that exact same young adult how Ohm's Law prevents a commercial building from burning down, or how geometry dictates load-bearing angles on a framing job site, and suddenly the lightbulb goes on. Context creates competence. Learning a higher-level skill while applying it in the real world turns abstract theory into tangible mastery.
Parental Stigma, 529 Plans, and the Academic Illusion
The hardest hurdle for many young people isn't a lack of interest in the trades; it's the status anxiety of their parents. Many parents I speak with genuinely struggle to reconcile using the money they meticulously saved in a 529 Plan for trade school instead of a traditional four-year "college experience." They feel as though spending that college fund on vocational training is somehow settling for less.
A friend of mine who runs a technical high school recently pointed out a telling bit of doublethink: he regularly meets with workforce development leaders who preach passionately in public about "lucrative trade jobs" and wonder aloud why more young people aren't taking advantage of them. Then, the moment the official meeting ends, those same leaders swap stories about how their own children are doing at elite institutions like Middlebury and Northeastern. The hypocrisy is subtle, but pervasive.
NYU Professor and author Scott Galloway frequently points out that the modern higher education system operates like a cartel. "We are under the delusion as parents that our kid is going to be that one freakishly remarkable kid," Galloway notes. Elite universities have abandoned their mission of public service, opting instead for a "luxury brand positioning" where deans are applauded for rejecting 90% of applicants. We are chasing a brand, not an education—and it’s blinding us to the incredibly lucrative, high-demand realities of the skilled trades.
I was absolutely livid recently when I spoke with a former colleague of mine, a special education teacher, no less. Their son, who happens to be dyslexic, told them they wanted to go to a trade school. Instead of celebrating their clarity and ambition, they were visibly disappointed. They were actively urging them to "hold off" on trade school and take some general college business classes first so they could "have that knowledge."
Give me a break... you’re not fooling anyone.
That wasn't about giving their child business acumen; that was about their own ego and their inability to let go of traditional degree prestige. Pushing a kid who excels with their hands and spatial reasoning into a lecture hall to sit through abstract coursework is a classic delay tactic driven by parental status anxiety.
And let’s be equally clear on the flip side: if a young adult does choose to get a traditional four-year college degree and subsequently decides to enter a skilled trade, that college education was not "wasted," nor should their career choice be judged as "less than." If a student valued their college experience, that personal growth has inherent worth—the mistake is assuming that a four-year degree must be a mandatory prerequisite for societal respect or career fulfillment.
And honestly, since when did we blindly accept the absurd premise that critical thinking skills, character, and a broad worldly perspective can only be procured inside a college lecture hall?
It drives me absolutely crazy. While the humanities, for many (myself included), are what help sustain us, you don't need to take on six-figure debt just to learn from T.S. Eliot that "April is the cruellest month." Maybe, just maybe, the famous line from Good Will Hunting holds more truth today than academia wants to admit: you dropped a hundred and fifty grand on an education you could have gotten for a dollar fifty in late charges at the public library. You can read literature, debate world events, build financial literacy, and analyze complex systems without a university gatekeeper. In fact, navigating real-world job sites, solving physical high-stakes problems under pressure, and interacting with people from all walks of life builds a level of practical intelligence and worldly grit that a four-year bubble simply cannot replicate.
The Youth Crisis, The "Great Rewiring," and Richard Reeves
While the stigma against trades harms everyone, the impact on higher education metrics for men is impossible to ignore. Today, only 40% of college students are men.
Whenever I walk around college campuses these days, I am aghast to see how few young men are actually walking around. My own children, who are in their early 20s, confirmed my suspicion: so many college-aged boys are isolated in their dorm rooms playing video games... money well spent, for sure.
This dynamic aligns precisely with what social psychologist Jonathan Haidt warns about in his research on Generation Z. Haidt points to "The Great Rewiring," a shift around 2012 to 2013 where smartphones, virtual platforms, and overprotective parenting replaced real-world socialization, risk, and physical play. Instead of building real-world resilience, young people were handed digital devices and shielded from real-life independence, locking many into what Haidt calls a perpetual "defend mode."
Is it any surprise that when these kids land on university campuses, environments increasingly dominated by "safetyism" and ideological coddling, they struggle to thrive?
In his landmark book Of Boys and Men, scholar Richard Reeves points out the staggering historical reversal that has accompanied this shift: in 1972, when Title IX was passed to help women catch up, men were 13 percentage points more likely than women to earn a bachelor’s degree. Today, women are 15 percentage points more likely to earn a degree than men. Furthermore, national data shows that college dropout rates are 20% higher for young men than for women.
● Bachelor's Degree Advantage: 1972 (Title IX Era): Men (+13%) | Present Day: Women (+13 to 15%)
● Undergraduate Share: 1972 (Title IX Era): Men majority (~58%) | Present Day: Women majority (~60%)
● Dropout Likelihood: 1972 (Title IX Era): Lower for men | Present Day: 20% higher for men
When a college experience fails, it can be so demoralizing that young people shut down entirely. But fixing this isn't about pushing men back into standard academic boxes; it’s about giving all young people the permission and encouragement to build tangible, essential careers without feeling "less than."
Real Role Models vs. The "Manosphere" Grift
When young adults, especially young men, drop out of higher education or feel lost in modern society, a toxic void opens up. Cut off from real-world achievements, too many fall into the trap of online influencers, figures like the Tate brothers or Clavicular, who preach performative nonsense, empty posturing, and shallow "content."
This performative culture is the exact digital "Colosseum" Haidt warns about: an ecosystem centered on likes, public shaming, and posturing rather than authentic human connection. Let's call it what it is: these influencers offer NOTHING of real substance to anyone. They don't build anything, they don't fix anything, and they don't serve their communities. Generating endless social media "content" isn't a life craft; it’s a digital distraction that feeds fragility.
Young people desperately need real, grounded role models present in the real world:
● Men at the Front of the Classroom: We need more men teaching in elementary, middle, and high schools. Children need to see empathetic, educated, and engaged men guiding them from an early age.
● Men in Healthcare & Nursing: Huge shout out to the men entering nursing and allied health fields. Breaking gender stereotypes goes both ways, and healthcare desperately needs compassionate male professionals on the front lines.
● Master Craftspeople: Leaders who take pride in real skill, tangible problem solving, and honest work.
The Trade Shortage: An Opportunity for Everyone
While millions of young people are drowning in debt or struggling with workplace friction and fragile corporate environments, the physical world is facing a massive labor shortage.
● Electricians: Roughly 10,000 electricians retire or leave the field every year, but only about 7,000 new apprentices enter to replace them.
● Plumbers: The U.S. is projected to be short by more than 550,000 plumbers.
● HVAC Technicians: There is an immediate nationwide shortage of over 110,000 HVAC technicians.
● The Broader Gap: Infrastructure reports estimate that up to 2.1 million skilled trade positions could go unfilled by 2030.
As Haidt notes, American economic vitality and innovation rely on risk taking, hands-on problem solving, and resilience. Trade careers naturally build that exact "antifragility."
To be fair, trade industries must also acknowledge their own historical role in creating this gap. Prior to current labor shortages, it often took skilled trade workers decades of demanding physical labor to accumulate real wealth, whereas corporate roles requiring degrees offered higher immediate starting salaries. Shifting public perception on what is "lucrative" will naturally take time to adjust to today's wage parity. Furthermore, modern trade companies must intentionally adapt their workplace cultures, modernizing entry points and aligning with what Gen Z and younger generations value—such as professional development, healthy work culture, and clear career progression.
And this shortage isn't just an opportunity for young men; we need women in these fields now more than ever. We must stop judging women who want to pick up a tool belt, run a job site, or master HVAC, plumbing, and electrical work. Women in trades bring incredible talent, detail, and leadership to industries that desperately need them. Elevating trade work means validating anyone who chooses to build or repair the world around us.
A Reason for Hope
If we want our youth to thrive, we have to stop selling them a narrow, false narrative of success. We need to normalize learning a trade, or stepping into essential human-centered careers like teaching and nursing, with the same pride once reserved for an Ivy League acceptance.
Real change starts when parents choose support over societal expectations and stop overprotecting their kids from real-world work. Two of my closest friends, both of whom hold terminal degrees, had sons who really struggled entering into young adulthood. Neither of these boys was "college material." Had my friends let superficial vanity and academic status dictate how they supported their sons, I genuinely worry about what the outcome would have been.
Instead, they met their sons where they were. Today, both of these young men are happy, healthy, and thriving: one is proudly working 60 hours a week as a plumber's apprentice, and the other is serving and defending our nation in the U.S. Army. They have found purpose and stability in a sea of lost boys.
I see that same shift in my own home: my college-aged daughter is currently dating a young man who is an electrician apprentice. Her girlfriends don't judge him; in fact, they tell her how lucky she is. They recognize that she’s with a guy who will always have employment, will never be replaced by an algorithm, and will be a strong, reliable provider, and, of course, keep her out of the dark. (Sorry, I have to throw in a dad joke when talking about my kids!)
As a parent, I am deeply relieved. These young people understand the dignity of hard work, take pride in what they build and protect, and have bright, secure futures ahead of them. It’s time we offer that same respect to everyone willing to roll up their sleeves, whether they're stepping onto a job site, putting on a nurse's scrubs, or standing at the front of a classroom.