While cost and non-guarantees contribute to students on a regular basis, Fullerton College students have mixed feelings on whether or not college is the right choice in 2025. Students agreed that the value of a college degree is not as important as it was before.
“I think some fields having a degree is necessary, like for science, you definitely need to know what you’re talking about,” said Roshni Zahid, a cellular molecular biology major in her first year.
Zahid also mentions her mother and grandmother influencing her college decisions immensely, referring to a degree always being a “safe” option.
Alana Santos, a second-year business major, mentions that her parents have a big impact on why she continues school.
“They say it opens up more options in the professional world,” said Santos.
Although Santos admitted she sometimes wondered whether or not school is worth it after tuition costs and difficulty, she continues to pursue her degree in business.
Ruby Zazveta believes that she and most students choose to pursue a degree in business because it’s broad, and they don’t know what else to study. She raised concerns about people she knows who have a degree but work at a supermarket.
“I don’t know if it’s worth studying for,” said Zazveta. “I don’t even know if I’m going to continue with business later on.”
With help from FC’s Promise Program, most students said they haven’t felt the impact of tuition cost yet, but acknowledge that community college is significantly less than a 4-year institution.
While a degree may not guarantee a job every time, students still believe a college degree has some value and that the pros outweigh the cons. According to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, since 2020, college enrollment across California has increased by 9.41% as of Fall 2024.
While many students acknowledged that there are plenty of other ways people without a degree can still be equally as successful in life, to older generations, a college degree was almost a one-way ticket to success.
“You need to get a degree to be someone important in life,” said Zazveta’s grandfather. “He always wanted us to have a degree and study to finish college,” said Zazveta
Whether it be a jump in tuition costs or a growing number of career paths that don’t require degrees, the current generation of college students doesn’t hold their degrees on the same pedestal.
