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Breaking Free from the College Myth: How to Empower Your Kids for Real-World Success

The idea that a college degree is the ultimate key to success is becoming outdated. With soaring student debt and an increasing number of companies focusing on skills rather than degrees, parents—especially homeschoolers—are rethinking the value of higher education.

In this post, we’ll dive into insights from The Feast Life Podcast episode with Hannah Maruyama of Degree Free. She explains why college is no longer the one-size-fits-all solution and offers practical ways to prepare teens for a fulfilling future.

Why College ≠ Success: The Data Speaks for Itself

Many parents still see college as the primary path to success, but the statistics paint a very different picture:

• 7.7% of U.S. jobs legally require a degree. This includes niche roles like lawyers, doctors, and speech-language pathologists, leaving the vast majority of careers open to non-degree holders.
• 60% of the U.S. workforce is degree-free. Most employees have built careers without traditional higher education.
• Job postings requiring a degree are in decline:
  • Only 17% of jobs on Indeed mention a degree requirement, and even fewer (14.5%) on ZipRecruiter.
  • The trend of removing degree requirements began in 2014 and continues to accelerate.
• Debt is a major barrier to financial stability: The total lifetime cost of a bachelor’s degree—including tuition, interest, and lost wages—can exceed $500,000.
• 85% of the jobs that will exist in 2030 haven’t been invented yet (Dell Technologies). College curriculums often fail to prepare students for emerging industries and technologies.

Reasons College is No Longer Required for Success

1. Skills Matter More than Credentials

   • Fortune 500 companies, such as Google and Tesla, are increasingly hiring based on skills, certifications, and practical experience.
   • Even the federal government and states like Pennsylvania and Massachusetts have removed degree requirements for the majority of jobs.

2. Self-Education is Accessible and Affordable

   • Platforms like YouTube, Coursera, and Skillshare make it possible to learn high-demand skills for free or at a fraction of the cost of a college degree.
   • Tech certifications, such as CompTIA, can be earned in months and lead to entry-level salaries of $50,000–$70,000.

3. Employers Are Adapting

   • Companies are implementing “skills passports” that focus on an employee’s abilities and track record rather than their educational background.
   • Surveys show 71% of hiring managers have fired recent college grads due to poor preparedness for the workforce, revealing a disconnect between academia and real-world needs.

4. Return on Investment (ROI) is Declining

   • Many degrees do not provide positive ROI. On average, 2.1% of jobs requiring a degree fail to generate enough income to offset the costs of education.
   • Graduates in low-paying fields often struggle with debt, which delays milestones like homeownership, marriage, and having children.

5. Real-World Experience Outweighs Theory

   • The majority of college professors have little to no experience outside academia. In STEM fields, only 50% of professors have worked in their industries, and many did not gain this experience until their mid-40s.

A Better Alternative: Build Skills and Focus on Real-World Readiness

Homeschool parents are uniquely positioned to prepare their children for success outside the traditional college system. Instead of focusing on college prep, guide your child toward:

1. Certifications

   • Certifications in fields like cybersecurity, project management, and graphic design are affordable and widely recognized.
   • For example, CompTIA certifications (Network+, Security+) can be earned by teens and lead to high-paying tech jobs.

2. Apprenticeships and Internships

   • Many industries offer on-the-job training. These programs pay participants while teaching valuable skills, often leading directly to full-time roles.
   • Example: State-registered apprenticeships in manufacturing, healthcare, and IT are increasingly available.

3. Entrepreneurship and Freelancing

   • Encourage teens to explore their passions by starting small businesses or freelancing. Fields like photography, graphic design, and app development offer incredible flexibility and growth potential.

4. Portfolios over Degrees

   • A portfolio showcasing completed projects often holds more weight than a degree. Platforms like GitHub, Behance, and personal websites can highlight a teen’s skills and creativity.

Redefining Success for Your Family

As homeschool parents, you’ve already rejected conventional systems. Extending that mindset to your teen’s post-high school plans can empower them to create a life full of purpose and opportunity.

As Charlotte Mason wisely said:
“The question is not how much does the youth know when he has finished his education, but how much does he care… and how full is the life he has before him?”

About Our Guest:

Hannah Maruyama is the founder of Degree Free, which helps parents and their 16-20 year olds create custom career roadmaps that don’t require them to buy college degrees so they can launch their lives. From tech to trades. Machine learning developers, midwives, drone pilots, sommeliers, dog grooming, cloud computing architects, organ transplant techs, watchmakers, salvage divers, animators. Any job under the sun.

With her husband Ryan, she runs @degreefree on Tiktok, which has over 500,000 followers and 100,000,000+ views and the Degree Free Podcast (a top US Careers Podcast) where Ryan and Hannah interview degree free people who work at companies like Meta, Dell, Twitch, Nike, Microsoft, AWS, and more. She also co-wrote – The Degree Free Way: How to Help Your 16-20 Year Old Build the Life They Want, which was published in June2024 and has sold more than 10,000 copies nationwide.

Connect with Hannah Maruyama:

• Get her book, The Degree Free Way
• Listen to her podcast for more insights: Degree Free Podcast 
• Learn about the Launch Program for personalized career guidance: Launch Program
• Instagram: @degreefree