Can I make it? › Education
Can school still get me (or my kids) ahead?
Learning, paying for it, and whether it still pays off.
The deal used to be simple: work hard in school, do better than your parents. That promise is now a coin flip, and it costs more than ever to take the bet, from childcare that beats college to $1.7 trillion in student debt.
Will my kids out-earn me?
50%
Of kids out-earn their parents
Down from 92% for kids born in 1940, the American Dream cut in half.
Are the schools still good?
Lowest
12th-grade reading & math on record
Scores fell to historic lows after the pandemic and haven't recovered, declines that began over a decade ago.
Can I afford childcare?
$11k+
A year, beats college in 39 states
Average infant care costs more than in-state public college tuition in 39 states plus D.C.
Is there a path besides college?
680k
Registered apprentices, rising
Apprenticeships have more than doubled in a decade, the one clear bright spot.
Is college worth the price now?
+180%
College costs have risen about 180% since 2000, far faster than inflation or wages.
How much do we owe for it?
$1.7T
Total U.S. student debt, held by ~43 million borrowers, averaging ~$38k each.
What the Numbers Are Saying
- ›The core promise (your kids do better than you) is now a coin flip, down from near-certain.
- ›K-12 scores fell to 20-year lows and haven't bounced back.
- ›Childcare costs more than college in most states, before school even starts.
- ›College costs jumped 180% since 2000 and left $1.7 trillion in debt behind.
- ›Apprenticeships are the bright spot: a real path that isn't a four-year degree.
Education still pays, but it costs more, delivers less certainty, and starts you in debt.
Figures real; tap any source to open it.