One in Four Regrets College—Here’s Why That Should Terrify Every High School Senior

Let’s not sugarcoat it—college used to be the golden ticket. The rite of passage. The gleaming staircase to adulthood. But for Gen Z? It’s increasingly looking like a trap door.

A new report from Fortune just dropped a truth bomb that should send chills through every guidance counselor’s office and college admissions billboard in the country: one in four Gen Z students regrets going to college—or the major they chose. That’s not just a little buyer’s remorse. That’s an indictment.

This isn’t just about tuition or student loans or how dorm food still tastes like punishment. This is about a generation that played by the rules, followed the formula, and still ended up broke, underemployed, and doubting the whole damn system.

The Numbers Don’t Lie—But They Do Hurt

According to a ResumeGenius survey, only 33% of Gen Zers feel satisfied with their college experience. That’s one-third. Which means the majority walked away from college with a degree in disappointment.

Worse, 62% say they’re not even working in their intended career field. Let that sink in—you spend four years studying a profession, and you don’t even land in it. Twenty-five percent say they can’t even get a job in their field at all. And this isn’t because they slacked off—this is the fallout from a system that trains students for jobs that no longer exist.

The Gender Gap in Regret

The data becomes even sharper when broken down by gender. Twenty-eight percent of Gen Z men regret their college experience, compared to 19% of women. That gap is telling.

Young men are increasingly drawn to paths outside the ivory tower, such as trades, tech certifications, and self-employment. Plumbing, HVAC, software boot camps, and welding—careers once seen as backup plans are now the main event. And they’re paying off. No student loans. Real income. Actual demand.

Meanwhile, Gen Z women are opting for the degree route in higher numbers—but not necessarily with better outcomes. The regret is there, just quieter. It whispers in the late-night job searches and the freelance gigs that were supposed to be “just for now.”

Even Parents Are Waking Up

Perhaps the most shocking revelation? 70% of parents now say they would support their children skipping college in favor of trades or apprenticeships.

That’s a cultural shift. A few years ago, saying you weren’t going to college was like announcing you’d joined a cult. Now? It’s a valid, even smart, choice—especially when you’re staring down $100K in debt for a degree that leads to part-time work and panic attacks.

The stigma is fading. What’s replacing it is realism.

The Career Coach Knows the Truth

Kolby Goodman, a career expert doesn’t mince words: college no longer guarantees success. It’s no longer a passport to the middle class. It’s a gamble. And too many people are placing that bet without knowing the odds.

You don’t win this game by enrolling. You win by being strategic. By knowing why you're there, what you’re studying, and how that path translates into actual work. If you’re just going because “that’s what people do,” congratulations—you’re already behind.

The Fallout: Underemployment, Debt, and Disillusionment

We’re raising a generation of grads who are overeducated and underpaid. They’ve got résumés with honors and transcripts that glow in the dark, but they’re working gigs that barely require a high school diploma.

They’re told to be grateful. To stop whining. To take their latte foam with a side of humility.

But here’s the truth: the system is failing them. It’s promising mobility and delivering stagnation.

So What Do You Do?

You plan. You don’t wander into college like it’s a theme park. You don’t pick a major because it sounds cool or safe. You don’t borrow $40,000 for a degree with no return on investment.

You reverse engineer your future. You find out what jobs are growing. What skills are in demand. What paths actually work.

Because if you’re going to invest four years and tens of thousands of dollars into anything—you need a damn plan.

Final Word: The Plan or the Pitfall

College can still be a powerful tool. But only if you wield it like one. Otherwise, it’s just another trap in a system that profits off your confusion.

Before you step foot on campus, ask yourself: What’s the strategy? What’s the outcome? What’s the plan?

Because if you don’t walk in with a purpose, you’ll walk out with regret.

And that’s one statistic you don’t want to be part of.

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