The idea of dropping out of college to pursue entrepreneurship has always held an appeal for those unconvinced by the education system, and things are no different for young workers today. Gen Z dropouts are considering exchanging college degrees for entrepreneurial roles, exploring alternatives to the traditional career paths that no longer lead to success.
New data regarding Gen Z dropouts show that, aware of the eventual inevitability of working side hustles alongside their typical 9-to-5 jobs, these young workers are considering skipping their degrees entirely to focus on building their own businesses instead.
In a new study by Resume Genius, it was revealed that 6 in 10 Gen Z workers have a side hustle that they work on along with their full-time jobs. Many who don’t are considering joining them soon, leaving only a smaller percentage satisfied with working a single role. Is Gen Z about to start skipping college for startups? It’s quite likely.
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Are Gen Z Dropouts Going to Redefine the Future of Work?
College degrees are slowly but surely losing their appeal. According to the Resume Genius report, around 1 in 4 Gen Z workers already regret going to college, and 22% lament their choice of degree. What would they do instead? Around 13% say if they could go back, they would pick a skilled trade instead, while 12% would have chased a degree in their area of interest.
Of the lot, 11% would stick to their degrees but would have switched to a less expensive institution, likely to save themselves from the burden of heavy loans, while 10% would focus on entrepreneurship. The numbers don’t represent workers who didn’t enjoy their education or gain anything beneficial from their decision to go to college. For most, their path to higher education did bring them greater satisfaction, however, there are questions surrounding the use of their degrees and whether the high price was worth it.
Of the 81% of Gen Zers with a degree, 60% said it helped them advance in their careers, but 21% found it helpful only initially, as they have since switched fields. For 19% of them, their degrees did not contribute to their careers at all. The numbers make it apparent that while some did benefit from higher education, there is a significant percentage who didn’t necessarily get to put it to use the way they had intended.
Is Gen Z Leaving College for Side Hustles? Not Yet, but They Might Soon
Of the many Gen Zers who were surveyed, 58% claimed they currently had side hustles, while another 25% were planning on starting one soon. Only 17% of them did not have a side hustle and were not intent on starting one anytime soon. Gen Z’s relationship with side hustles does not come as a surprise, as many of them rely on these jobs for additional income.
Many Gen Zers also work side hustles for their passion or to gain new skills that their primary job might not provide. For around 6% of them, the side hustle was a way of preparing to start their own businesses. The desire to switch to side hustles was highest among the youngest cohort of Gen Z workers, and it was also evident that those with less formal education were more likely to pick up side gigs.
These stats together show that those who are in the early days of their career are leaning towards focusing their attention on side jobs. This suggests that soon enough, we might see more Gen Z dropouts switching to entrepreneurship after witnessing those close in age failing to build careers along their desired paths.
Are We Going to See Gen Z Leave College for Side Hustles?
Current Gen Z career paths lead to side gigs already, which seems like a longer route than skipping on a degree entirely to pursue jobs that bring you closer to the careers and milestones that you have in mind. Over the course of 2025, we’ve seen different reports suggest the same trajectory of Gen Zers considering blue-collar jobs and relying on side hustles to get them closer to their goals.
Gen Zers are also clear about their priorities, putting work-life balance ahead of corporate labor. With organizations continuing to explore the 996 culture and putting RTO policies at the forefront of the conversation, we expect that more Gen Z will grow disillusioned with building careers working for someone else. This could result in Gen Z dropouts establishing a new era of work, led by the principles that they prioritize. With more Gen Zers advancing to managerial positions at work, we’ve already seen data that suggests they lead in their own unique way.
Many great businesses that currently lead industries today were initially built by college dropouts or those who spent their time on their side hustles until they could turn them into their full-time careers. If more Gen Z workers start skipping college for startups, it will only represent a natural progression of the job market from the way things stand today. From employers refusing to employ Gen Z to organizations refusing to hire anyone at all, the number of opportunities continues to shrink for those who can’t be creative with their careers.
Who knows, you might just find yourself working for Gen Z dropouts soon enough.