The problem is really that people think you need to pay $350,000, but you shouldn’t seriously pay more than $40,000. Higher education as a concept isn’t a scam, but certain schools like the Ivy Leagues and private universities absolutely are. While there certainly are benefits to going to a prestigious school, most public state universities in the United States are excellent and hold good reputation. The quality of education you’ll get at a local state college will only be like 10% worse than Harvard or Yale, but will cost 10x less. There’s also the argument for technical schools or apprenticeships; while potentially more limiting, these also offer a significantly more affordable path of higher education for Americans.

While you won’t necessarily get a bonus or anything for having a degree that aligns with the role you perform at a company, you aren’t getting that job without the degree. College degrees serve as a way to move between the American de jure caste system; you can either work in low-wage jobs that won’t require a degree, or you pursue higher education to get access to the ones that do.