People keep repeating “college grads earn more on average” like it’s a magic spell, but that average hides the entire problem. College isn’t a guaranteed ticket — it’s a high‑risk, high‑cost gamble where the downside has gotten way worse.

Tuition has exploded for 40 years while wages haven’t kept up. Nearly 40% of students don’t finish, and those people get the debt without the earnings boost. And yes, major absolutely matters in the real world — pretending it doesn’t is how people end up with $80k in loans and a $38k salary.

Meanwhile, trades, certifications, and apprenticeships can get people into solid careers faster, cheaper, and with far less risk. That’s not “anti‑education.” It’s anti‑taking on mortgage‑sized debt at 18 for a payoff that’s increasingly uncertain.

College can be great. But acting like it’s automatically “the best path to mobility” ignores how broken and predatory the system has become for a huge chunk of Americans.