Survey: 1 in 4 Gen Zers regret going to college or the major they chose

As Gen Zers begin to navigate job markets and student debt after college, new reports have found that about one in four of them say they regret the majors they chose – or going to college at all.

Business publication Fortune reported that a ResumeGenius survey additionally found that just one-third of the 1,000 polled Gen Zers said that they are content with their majors and college experiences. Twenty-two percent said they would have chosen a higher-paying field to go into, such as finance or health care, while 13% said they wish they would have pursued a trade or another career that does not require a college degree. Nineteen percent said their degree did not contribute to their career.

The report also found that 28% of Gen Z men said they regret going to college, compared with 19% of women. Men were more likely to say that they would have rather gone into a trade, a no-degree career, or entrepreneurship. 

According to the report summary, the data show that “today’s young workers are rethinking what it means to build a satisfying career.” Fortune reported that Kolby Goodman, a career coach, said that Gen Z is being forced to change their approach to careers thanks to the shifting job market, leading them to question the value of higher education.

“Many older generations had the luxury of living in a market where their college degree was practically a get-a-job-free card after graduation,” Goodman said. “Now, with more and more people pursuing higher education, fewer and fewer entry-level roles, and the breakneck speed of evolving technology, there’s a lot more uncertainty and lack of guarantees.”

Another survey, conducted by Tallo, asked more than 2,000 Gen Zers about their career paths. This survey found that 62% said they aren’t currently in the career they wanted to pursue. Additionally, 25% said they are struggling to find jobs in their field of interest.

“Many Gen Z students feel they were told college was the only path, only to see people with strong degrees underemployed or overlooked,” Tallo CEO Allison Danielsen said, according to Fortune.

Additionally, an American Student Assistance survey of more than 3,000 middle and high school students found that parents’ attitudes toward their children pursuing college degrees are changing as well. Seven in 10 students said their parents would support them if they chose to go into trade or an apprenticeship instead of going to college.

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