As did several giants in industy that did not stay or go to college, Steve Jobs,

Michael Dell, etc...  It has to do with the individual.  I know grads from Harvard, who have amounted to very little.  A

My husband and I were having this conversation this past weekend. He is in the building industry and skilled trades people are getting scarce. They get paid great wages yet not nearly as many young people are going into the fields. We need plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians. Then you have tons of college grads that can't get a job in their fields or make enough to pay back their college debt when they graduate. Not everyone needs a college education or should get one.

William Feela I've known several people with a college/university degree and who ended up not even coming close to working in their major. Is it worth spending the money for a masters degree to end up working in real estate sales? I was watching a program the other day where someone was interviewing students at a prominent university. "Who was the first President of the United States?" Answer: Abe Lincoln Are degrees over rated? We are losing the people in this Country who are skilled in the trades.

My wife and I both have advaned degrees, which are required for our professions, yet do not yield much more in income than many with just a trade school degree.

We did insist that all of our children get at least one collage degree as well, I dont know if it has helped them to make more money, but I am sure that the process has helped them in other ways.

If I was to do it over; I would have chosen trade school. A lot less headaches!

Everyone in my family has a college degrees. I'm a firm believer in education and continues education. How you implement it in your life, that is a different question. 

I know many with higher educations that don't do very well. If I were to do it all over again ... it would be self teaching and reading a ton of books on my own. Of course I would not look for anyone to hire me .. I would establish my own business.

Depends on the person.  Some people were just not meant for college..

Right now in this Economy , the smart $$$ is on Trade School !!!

University is also considered to be higher education.

William - It has more to do with the actual person, and what they do with what they have, whether it is a college degree or graduating from a trade school.

Either one. It depends on what someone wants to do. 

Depends on the person, but leaning more towards trade school.

trade!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so mechanically declined it was college for me.

Good morning William. I see people all day long, often their education has very little to do with the amount of income they make.

What do you plan to do with the rest of your life? Mike Rowe would suggest trades and so do I. When I was at Lowe's we had many people coming in with paper to run a register.

William Feela having master's degree in engineering and post graduate diploma in software technology, I'll go for Education!

It used to be College, but the trends are now Trade School, because of the high tuitions.

I don't get the current thinking that a college education is a right.  I admire my niece.  After a year of college, she realized that college wasn't for her.  She went to technical school, got her welding certificate and made more in her first year than most college graduates.  Why don't more go to trade schools?

i did both and use the trade...  much cheaper and I enjoy it  a ton more!

I did the college route.  Earned a Masters of Science degree AND used it for 15 years before retiring.  It depends what people study though.  College teaches you to think (or it should at least), certain types of schools teach stuff that's useful in the real world.  Out here the Univ. of California system is mostly theory and the Cal State system is mostly practical skills.  I went to a private school and had a mix of both.

Was working toward a PhD in philosphy and then decided I would be the most knowledgable cab driver on logical positicism, so I entered the real estate trade school in 1989 and now I are one.

College....but those who are in the trades and are self employed will also do very well....

Higher education..if it's related to cyber security.

Higher education....if it is cryptology specific.

Higher education...if it is economy focused.

Higher education... if it is Cybase architect

Spend all the money you want...all you can. the employer will pay it off.

Liberal arts....you can be creative in the way you say "Frites with that?"

William,
It depends on many factors but incurring excessive debt for either is a deep hole to have to dig out of.

A College Degree is most desired and respected.  I'd love to have a college degree from an Ivy League School.

It depends.  I know many with degrees and advanced ones and are bright only in that area.  Education is much more than books and schooling. 

As with most issues, it depends.  But... I am HUGE proponent of trade school. If a person has a true "skill", in an area of their interest, they should always be employable. So many college graduates are unemployed in their field of study and settle for whatever they can get... or remain unemployed.  
If the government wants to subsidize education for higher learning, I would fully support trade school education.  I believe that would solve a lot of social and economic problems. 

It depends on the persons goals, knowledge and in the end, what they want to do. Trades are the best bet for most. Many liberal arts majors are not exactly working or making any money in their field after all. 

It becomes what each individual is comfortable with. I was a lousy classroom student not doing homework but read all the books and when the final came out would pass and onto the next. As to a trade if you give me a piece of wood I will make you lots of toothpicks and sawdust.