One in four Gen Z workers wishes they had skipped college or picked a higher‑paying major, and only about a third are happy with the choices they made, a new ResumeGenius poll, carried out this month, finds.
What Happened: The online survey of 1,000 full‑time Gen Z employees shows 23% regret going to college, 22% would pivot to fields like tech or finance, and just 32% say they'd change nothing about their education.
Career coaches say that shift reflects a market where degrees no longer guarantee jobs. "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," said Kolby Goodman of Employed By Graduation, speaking to Fortune.
A separate Tallo report highlights the unease. Nearly two‑thirds of young adults aren't yet in their intended career, and one in four can't find work in the field they trained for. With entry‑level roles shrinking and AI reshaping tasks, "there's a lot more uncertainty and lack of guarantees," Goodman added.
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Cost is a prime driver of regret. The Education Data Initiative pegs the average annual price of attending a four‑year college at $38,270, which is more than double what parents paid at the turn of the century. As bills climb, more than 4 million Gen Zers remain unemployed or underemployed and blame their degrees for their predicament.
Why It Matters: Parents are responding. 70% of teens now say their families support alternatives such as apprenticeships or trade school, according to a recent American Student Assistance poll.
Even so, some majors still pay. The ResumeGenius study notes that STEM and health graduates report the highest satisfaction, while arts and humanities majors log the most regret. With tuition soaring and job security shaky, career counselors urge students to weigh earnings potential, debt loads and non‑degree options before signing a promissory note.
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