Last Updated on April 5, 2025

Many attend higher education because of the name and the career paths that an institution offers. But did you know higher education’s value depends on individual aspirations and circumstances?

If you, from my perspective, who falls in the middle class, choose to study further, it would mean this is what you want in life rather than what you think you need. Obtaining a degree does not make anyone a better person after all.

Institutions offering higher education were deemed to be life saviors for many – who were not born with a silver spoon in their mouth – in the past. Sadly, these businesses have gradually become lucrative businesses.

This article helps you focus on your needs and what speaks to you. Do you want to obtain a degree – gain knowledge of a particular discipline that interests you? Or, do you think you need to be a traditionally defined professional to survive or fit in?

Middle class life

There’s no such thing as “a typical middle-class life” from my professional standpoint. It varies from culture/person to culture/person. However, generally speaking, if you/your family needs to save up to travel or celebrate a special occasion, you may be the middle class. That is, having a little bit extra for personal development, which can be a yoga lesson or 1:1 coaching session and entertainment is a typical middle-class lifestyle.

Interestingly, Kharas & Hamel (2018) concluded that more than 50% of the people around the world were either middle class or rich. That said, almost 50% of the population around the world was “lower-middle class” or “the working class”. Alarmingly, Galloway (2024) pointed out that a 2023 study reported that of respondents between 18 and 34, only 18% of them felt good about being an American, whereas more than half of respondents – over the age of 55, were proud of being an American. This result showed younger generations didn’t feel as confident (e.g., choice in life, health, career and relationships) compared to the older generations.

Owing to the uneven distribution of wealth and resources, whether higher education is overrated would depend on what your purpose of life or life goal is – if your reality allows you to dream.

my Interpretation of higher education

It doesn’t matter which school you attend, the reality is higher education emphasizes technical skills over interpersonal skills. If you don’t major in social sciences, like social work, the odds of you receiving proper human skills training are significantly lower. Human skills include how to take care of your mental wellness, tackle challenging situations and improve your communication skills, resilience, and solution-seeking abilities. In most cases, most learn their life lessons (the hard way) outside of an academic environment.

When studying further becomes a requirement

As previously mentioned, a person with one or multiple degrees or certifications, simply means this person has relevant qualifications to provide services or develop products in one or more areas. Yet, this has no relation to whether this person received adequate training in human skills. In other words, graduating from a college or university doesn’t make a person a polite, thoughtful or empathetic person. Human skills, people skills or interpersonal skills are not the same as technical and hard skills – where students mainly earn their academic credits.

So, how does studying further become a mainstream culture? They say (Do you know who instilled “credentialism” in many societies? Comment below!) “a degree can be the golden ticket”, especially for vulnerable populations (such as less fortunate people, women, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, indigenous peoples and people of color) to land a job or have a better/brighter future.

Note: I never personally like to use these terms (vulnerable populations, people of color, 2SLGBTQIA+ community, etc.) to describe a person or a group of people. Because I believe we are one race – the human race with different cultural/regional/individual beliefs.

When higher education is optional

If you want to be a part of a professional regulatory body, obtaining higher education may thus be mandatory for you. However, if you want to be a community support worker or a construction worker, pursuing a college diploma or earning significant real-world experience may be more useful and practical instead.

To be more specific, any occupations that are highly regulated, like medical professionals, are required to be licensed. A registered/licensed professional almost always – depending on your country and/or state/province – needs relevant certification(s). On the other hand, higher education can be optional for individuals who want to be a chef, an artist, or a developer. These occupations are no less important than licensed medical and financial professionals. A degree may be helpful, but it is not a requirement. A chef can always acquire on-the-job training for a couple of years, save up, and go back to school if preferred.

your profession doesn’t define who you are

Higher education, in general, still provides the necessary tools and “specific knowledge” to give less wealthy youngsters opportunities to shine. Unfortunately, not all colleges abide by the same morals. In December 2022, CBC news indicated that a Canadian college allegedly turned a school into a lucrative business. Some international students reported to be scammed by the school’s admissions representatives.

A school reputation may be useful to some degree, depending on your industry. Nevertheless, it is your personal values and human skills that define who you are as a person not your occupation. Namely, you do not need to be an Ivy Leaguer to be deemed a good person.

Higher education isn’t overrated if you truly wants and needs it to achieve your goals in life. Conversely, higher education can be overrated when you don’t actually need it.

Since most are competing for limited resources, to make peace with yourself and others, being more mindful of your decision-making process allows you to make the most suitable choice – that is relevant to you at the time.

This process may seem to be overwhelming and intimidating. Because taking accountability for your own actions is one of the most intimidating (but exciting) parts of adulting. Look on the bright side, you have discovered our resources and we are just a click away. Reach out for clarity whenever you need.

References

Kharas, H. & Hamel, K. (2018, September 27). A global tipping point: Half the world is now middle class or wealthier. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/a-global-tipping-point-half-the-world-is-now-middle-class-or-wealthier/

Galloway, S. (2024, May 2). How the US Is Destroying Young People’s Future | Scott Galloway | TED [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEJ4hkpQW8E

Grundig, T., McDonald, J. & Dhanraj, T. (2022, December 2). Some CDI College recruiters are misleading students, Marketplace investigation finds. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-cdi-college-investigation-1.6670199