For generations, parents have told their children one of the most important ways they can help themselves succeed in life is to go to school and get a degree. But a college degree alone often isn’t enough for many students anymore.
This is partly because nearly 70% of Americans aged 16 to 24 are enrolled in college, meaning that college graduates don’t stand out among the crowd the way they once may have.
Additionally, the college costs have increased significantly in the past few decades. According to an article in Forbes, the average cost per year at a 4-year college or university in 2016 was over $26,000, more than double what it was in 1989. During that same period, real median wages only grew from $54,042 per year to $59,039.
