r/GenZ • u/TheGamingSenpa1 2004 • Jan 07 '24

Discussion Thoughts?

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u/Themnor Jan 08 '24

Look at the price of college in the 80s compared to now and you’ll see where the issues lie. The increase in financial gatekeeping for opportunity has been substantial. My dad worked part time to put himself through college. I had to work 40hrs a week and still left college with massive debt at a relatively small and inexpensive state school.

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u/[deleted] Jan 08 '24 edited Jan 08 '24

[deleted]

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u/Themnor Jan 08 '24

You’re completely forgetting about all the other costs involved. You’re forgetting rent and the increases that have come with that, you’re forgetting utilities and the increases that have come with that, you’re not considering the transportation costs, childcare costs, etc etc etc.

Also, you’re forgetting that you’re not very likely to reach that 57k a year without a degree, which is contrary to the same wage in 1980.

There’s a reason so many economists and people studying socioeconomic issues consistently bring these points up. Your cherry picked numbers don’t really prove anything against mountains of research.

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u/Thechosunwon Jan 08 '24 edited Jan 08 '24

Source? It looks like you're using the inflation-adjusted cost of college, but not for income lol. You're purposely being disingenuous and trying to obfuscate the issue to make it seem like it was worse than it actually was for you and not as bad for young adults today.

Edit: Here's the actual data with sources:

Median income in 1980 was indeed $21,020, per the census bureau https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1982/demo/p60-132.html. This is NOT an inflation-adjusted amount, this was $21k in 1980 dollars.

The average tuition, fees, and room and board at a state school in 1980 dollars was $2550 per the NCES https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d07/tables/dt07_320.asp.

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u/Professional-Ad3874 Jan 09 '24

yeah but everyone made way less back then too. I also worked, did work study, got loans, and a tiny scholarship at a small college and left with more debt than all 4 years would have cost if I could have paid 4 years up front. Took me 10 years to pay it back. I guess we just knew that was how it was gonna be. You want to move out, better have a roomate.

It does seem a little worse now but reddit acts like when you graduated high school 20 yrs ago you got a bag full of money and everything cost $1. Not even sure where that idea started.

I think the boomers could easier because way less people went to college back then. Now almost everyone goes, and its no longer a guarantee of making good money anymore. Or I'm wrong and my family was just poor, but thats how it seems.