Depending on what the business is, dropouts might be just as capable as graduates. If the post-industrial economy demands more hairdressers, cooks, and barrista

Depending on what the business is, dropouts might be just as capable as graduates. If the post-industrial economy demands more hairdressers, cooks, and barristas, then the ability to make a low-cal hamburger could be more useful than the ability to write a 3,000 word essay on why Hitler was possibly not solely responsible for WWII, but still a bad person (or whatever kids in college do these days). It depends on the course, and the student. That said, a degree in a technical field from a good but inexpensive college will always be worth it.