College regrets are not exclusive to Gen Z, but more and more of this generation are actively fretting over their early educational choices. In 2025, Gen Z is showcasing a preference for trade schools over college, some merely considering the switch due to the poor return on investment from a college degree. Riddled with debt from an expensive education and unable to find work to pay off the loans, many Gen Zers are openly regretting their choice to go to college.
Other Gen Z workers don’t necessarily regret getting a degree, but instead regret the industry they chose to specialize in. Picking the right degree has always been a difficult choice, but Millennials were better able to rely on passion for an industry to help guide the way towards employment. For Gen Z graduates, many degrees have led to dead-end careers that have them struggling to find employment regardless of whether they made the “right” choice or the passionate one.
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Gen Z Regrets College Degrees for More Reasons than One
“Your degrees don’t matter when you’re going to end up with a low-paying job in the service industry. We can’t work enough to pay off the student debt, and we can’t find more work because no one wants to hire us. There’s really no way out,” a tired and distraught 25-year-old Gen Z worker told us when asked about college regrets. She’s not alone in feeling this way.
A ResumeGenius survey found that one in four Gen Z workers regret going to college at all or having selected the degree that they did. The survey asked them whether they would change their college education and what they would change if they could, and only 32% were happy with their education path of choice. Around 23% regretted going to college at all, and 22% would choose a higher-paying field if they had the option.
Additionally 13% would prefer a skilled trade or no-degree career, which brings us back to the preference for trade school over college education among Gen Z. The smallest percentage of the responders, around 12%, would choose to pursue a creative or passion-driven degree. It’s good to see that the job market hasn’t crushed the creative spirit entirely, however, we are seeing a shift away from passion-driven work to seeking benefits from money-oriented industries.
Gen Z Rethinks College Degree Value in 2025
The recent survey is not the first time we’ve seen evidence of Gen Z workers re-evaluating the value of a college degree. In the last two years, there has been a gradual shift in opinion regarding college degrees, as many graduates entering the workforce are finding themselves entirely unprepared to participate in it due to the limited scope of their degrees. Many are seeing greater benefits from switching to a skilled trade, both in terms of their employability and their overall satisfaction with their work.
The US is pushing to bring manufacturing jobs back home, and the shift away from college education could see more takers for these labor-intensive roles, but for now, there is a distinct mismatch between qualified workers and the jobs available to them.
We’ve seen reports that suggest that employers are planning to drop degree requirements for various roles at their organization. While this aids many workers without degrees in finding employment, Gen Z workers with higher education are seeing a poor ROI with their existing degrees. Even millennials with years of experience under their belts are seeing their careers stagnating, with no room for growth. Their degrees might have helped them grow for a few years, but they are being alienated from the workforce just the same as the Gen Z workers.
College Degrees vs the AI Job Market—Only Some Roles Promise Good Returns
Degrees in finance, engineering, and general technology spheres have always held the promise of greater returns for those who can complete their college education successfully, but in 2025, it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine which path to take. Artificial intelligence is leading the way at most organizations, and experts in the technology are being promised stable, un-compromisable jobs for the long term. However, workers in the tech industry are being laid off at a faster rate than ever before.
There are also signs that these high-paying industries are starting to forego hiring workers in favor of digital, AI-powered employees, making it all the more evident that the number of roles available to the human workforce is shrinking. Should Gen Z candidates then give up on high-paying roles and chase their passion in creative fields? These industries are also being threatened by AI and have never truly proved easy for beginners to break into.
What’s Next for Gen Z Workers?
Regardless of how you look at it, Gen Z is being forced to regret their college educations, whether they pursued passion or progress. Graduating from college is meant to be a big milestone for fresh young talent who set off to find their place in the workforce, but in 2025, graduating from college leaves many aspiring workers stranded.
Ultimately, Gen Zers will need to look at the job market and envision a pathway for themselves, even if the role doesn’t currently exist. Social media and the evolution of tech have opened up many new doors to employment, and it’s up to Gen Z workers to determine how they can take their passions and walk down the avenues open to them.
An education in technology will always serve an employee well in the tech-driven world we live in, but it doesn’t have to mean that a degree in technology is the only way forward. Exploring any field with some investment in AI learning is likely the best solution for most workers. As Gen Z rethinks the value of college degrees, they must also ensure they do not make any hasty decisions and impulsively skip college. There are careers to be made in every industry, even the ones that appear hostile at the moment.
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