I'm surprised by how few comments mention one other thing that is important to consider: How does the lifetime value of a college education compare to someone w

I'm surprised by how few comments mention one other thing that is important to consider: How does the lifetime value of a college education compare to someone who instead spent that money starting a business? I went to a small private college and graduated in 2010 with about $40,000 in loans. My degree was in biology. So far, it hasn't really helped at all. If I were going to start over, I would skip college and start a business. My student debt is higher than average, so let's be more conservative and use the $25,000 average debt stated in the article. For $25,000, you can create a pretty nice little business, especially in a small city. For example, I lived in Fargo for a few years where my living expenses were only $800 per month. Even if that business fails, you are no worse off than a college grad, except you also have years of experience for when you try another business. I think the real question we should be asking is not "Is college worth it?", but rather, "How do we help young adults start businesses the way we help them get into college?". We spend so much time and money offering scholarships, which in turn is supposed to help them get good jobs. In other words, we are spending a lot of money to increase competition in the job market. If that money was spent helping those young bright minds start businesses, we would be simultaneously removing someone from the job market AND creating new jobs.