Z and almost half of millennials say college is a waste of money.

• University alumni call their degrees a worthless one. Certainly, new data shows that the fear of accumulating student loans and reshaping the workplace is responsible. Experts say higher education is still important, but Gen Z should always prioritize “toolkit upgrades” to succeed.

College is often advertised as the best four years of life, but many Americans now regret it.

More than a third of new alumni say that their new degrees are a “waste of money.” Certainly an investigation. This frustration is particularly pronounced among Gen Z, with 51% expressing regret, compared to 41% of millennials and only 20% of baby boomers.

Overall, the increase in the share of university-educated workers has questioned the return on investment (ROI) of their degrees. Kyle MKactually spoken by a career trend expert. luck. Considering the average, it’s not so surprising The cost of a bachelor’s degree has doubled Over $38,000 in the last 20 years, total Student loan debt It has swelled to almost $2 trillion.

“An additional 38% of student loans feel like they are limiting career growth more than their diploma accelerated,” MK said. “Together, these realities are tweaking the focus from pedigree to practical skills for universities and employers. In fact, 52% of our job offers don’t actually list formal educational requirements.”

However, for many young people, this perception is too slow. Already, there are around 4.3 million Gen Z He is left behind as “Nitess”– There is no clear direction on how to resume your early career, not education, employment, or training.

A long road to finding a certain amount of value

Who is navigating, especially for the young people? Not the ideal job marketit can be difficult to see the long term ROI or university. This is especially true when some subjects like psychology, philosophy, English, etc. can take more than 20 years in the workforce to pay for itself. Educational Data Initiative.

but,Christine Cruzvergarathe Chief Education Strategy Officer of Handshake warns against evaluating degrees from a purely quantitative perspective.

“It’s myopic to focus solely on immediate employment, as we make the assumption that the value of higher education is only to get your first job,” Cruzvegara said. luck. “The reality is that higher education contributes to career advancement opportunities, exposure to various fields, supporting self-discovery, and developing management and leadership skills.”

Almost 70% of young graduates believe they can work without a degree, but without that they may not be exposed to the network. Cruzvergara said the university cannot advertise it as a breeding ground for not only opening the door after graduation but meeting like-minded people on campus.

For example, Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard in his sophomore year and focused on building Facebook in today’s social media empire. But he could not have done it without the four co-founders he met in college.

“Gen Z is particularly faced with an uncertain job market and needs a better connection between education investments and outcomes,” she adds.

AI surprised university graduates with a sarcastic spiral

The spread of artificial intelligence across all parts of education and in the workplace has made university graduates even more questionable. 30% feel that AI is completely irrelevant.

This is despite efforts from ideological leaders in this field The mild fear of AI replacing workers. “AI is not going to get your job.” Netflix CO-CEO TED SARANDOS I said it last year. “People who use AI a lot may get into your job.”

MK acknowledges that skill areas such as routine programming, basic data analysis, and creating template content are highly exposed to AI, but areas such as nursing, advanced project management, and creative strategies are relatively insulated.

“AI is an amplifier over pink slip,” MK said, adding that anyone who prioritizes lifelong learning and has an open conversation with their employer about AI can get upset with technological advances.

“AI won’t override robust education, but it will reward those who continue to upgrade their toolkits.”

This story was originally introduced Fortune.com