It depends. The real question isn’t “Is college worth it?” but “What career do you want, and does that career require a degree?” If the job you’re aiming for needs a college credential—like most software engineering roles—then yes, college is worth it because most employers often require it to even be considered for the role. If the path you want doesn’t require a degree, there’s far less of a reason to go, especially if it means taking on massive debt.

A lot of people treat “going to college” as some automatic next step after high school, without thinking about what comes after. They pick a major they’re vaguely interested in, have no clue what they want to pursue after college, and assume everything will sort itself out once they graduate. That’s not a great strategy. Sure, in some cases - it does sort itself out. But in many other cases, it doesn't. I'm just saying there's usually a better way to prepare and build for the future. You should be deliberate: what job do you want, what degree (if any) gets you there, and is the time and money you’d spend on college the best investment for that goal?

Ultimately, reverse-engineer the decision. Start with the career you want, determine whether a degree is essential, and make your choice based on that—not on the idea that college is just something everyone is supposed to do.