Is Content Creation Replacing College?

Like the generation before them, more and more Gen Z adults are questioning whether going to college was worth it. But as industries like the creator economy and career options like content creation grow, could they be considering replacing college altogether? 

The Value Of University Degrees Comes Into Question

While the decision to go to college or university after high school is a personal one, it has also been an expectation among many students for decades, at least in the United States. Even now, roughly three out of four high school students say they expect to go to college (but only two in three actually enroll). 

Attending a four-year college or university has often been touted as the path to a high-paying job that could pay dividends over the course of your life. And yet, nowadays only 22 percent of Americans think the cost of a college degree is worth it if it requires taking out loans. 

In the past, evidence has largely supported the notion that, in the long run, college graduates earn more than those who don't attend college. But in just the past few years alone, we've seen a huge swing in data suggesting that not only does a college degree not guarantee financial safety, but not having one also isn't a barrier to high-paying jobs. 

According to an analysis by the Financial Times, men between the ages of 22 and 27 with a four-year degree have close to the same unemployment rate as men who don't have a degree — and the unemployment rate for college grads is on the rise. Compare that to just 15 years ago, when the unemployment rate for young men without a degree was 15 percent compared to 7 percent for those with a degree. 

The rosy picture is this: young men without college degrees have cut their unemployment rates by more than half in about 15 years. 

And workplace hiring practices support it, with a recent survey revealing a whopping 90 percent of HR leaders saying they are looking outside of four-year degrees when it comes to hiring. In other words, companies are simply looking for skill-based employees whom they can "upskill" on the job. Whether you got those skills through an Ivy League education or "the university of Google" doesn't matter. 

Is Content Creation Replacing College?

Data suggests that more and more young people want to be content creators and YouTubers professionally, and two-thirds of Gen Z already consider themselves content creators. This sentiment, combined with the ballooning costs of education and a lesser reliance on pedigree as a hiring factor, means plenty of young people are thinking about prioritizing creation over college. 

Declining enrollment numbers may support this general "vibe" too, as colleges see a steady flow of applications but a declining number of actual enrollments. Demographers have long predicted a drop in college enrollments due to declining birth rates, but many say we haven't reached that "enrollment cliff" yet — instead suggesting other factors like uncertainty over the availability of funding, souring confidence around job prospects, and a desire to get a head start on their own careers. 

Of course, universities, professors, and academics all tout the values of higher education, both the tangible and the intangible. But there's no denying that the wealth of successful content creators who didn't go to college — or the ones who did but said it didn't ultimately help them in their current career — have a strong influence on young creators who are currently earning a bit of money and weighing their options. 

Universities And Creators Looking To Meet In The Middle

While college and universities continue to tout the historic benefit of getting a four-year degree, they're also recognizing that they need to adapt what they offer. Several college and universities have started to offer content creator programs and degrees. 

Several universities, including Ivy League schools, have started offering classes on influencing. Others have put together mini-tracts and bootcamps. And several have gone so far as to offer full on degrees in the art of influencing and content creation. 

Many of these programs combine elements of typical entrepreneurship — which makes sense, since content creators are at the core of it, business owners. But that's also why some creators are choosing to add higher education as a supplement to their existing content careers. Full-time creators like Katie Fang are enrolling in business programs kind of like how working professionals try to get "executive MBAs" or other programs. 

Ultimately, it's about filling in the gaps so that creators can avoid mistakes and maximize potential as business people. But at the same time, they're not trying to put their life and current careers and ambitions on hold.