As Gen Z and millenials will likely tell you, a college degree doesn’t guarantee you’ll earn enough to afford a home.
A survey by Clever Real Estate found that although college students expect to make $80,004 one year after graduating with a bachelor’s degree, they’re still worried; 57% don’t think their first post-college job will provide them with enough income to buy a home.
This uncertainty has led to a mindset shift as 43% of college undergrads surveyed said that if they could do it again, they’d prioritize buying a home over attending college.
But whether college is worthwhile these days may ultimately come down to your career goals and how they align with your desire and ability to buy a home.
Why homeownership is harder to reach for college grads
The average starting salary for bachelor’s degree graduates in 2025 was $65,677, according to the NACE 2025 Summer Salary Survey. Meanwhile, the average amount borrowed to earn a bachelor’s degree was $31,835.
The U.S. Department of Education’s standard repayment plan is structured for borrowers to pay off student loans in 10 years—a timeline many financial experts recommend. However, 40% of the students surveyed by Clever Real Estate doubt they can hit the standard repayment benchmark.
“This signals that widely accepted financial guidance may not accurately reflect today’s reality,” says Nicole Lehman of Clever Real Estate in St. Louis.
The disconnect goes beyond student loans into important financial milestones, such as homeownership.
According to the survey, 46% of college students expect to earn six figures before they buy a home. And even though the average age of a first-time homebuyer is 40, 41% think they’ll become a homeowner before 30.
While their optimism is refreshing, it overlooks today’s affordability issue. With a national median home price of $415,450, college graduates may find it difficult to buy a home so early in their careers.
The shift away from a degree-only society
Rising concerns around affordability and timing has led many to rethink whether a traditional college degree is still the best path to homeownership.
For decades, “go to college” was the default answer for what to do after high school. And it still is for many careers in fields like healthcare, engineering, and education as they require undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees.
“In the past, a degree was the golden ticket to stability (or at least it was perceived as such), but today people have more viable options to find financial success,” says Jason Leverant, employment expert, president, and chief operating officer of AtWork, a national staffing franchise based in Knoxville, TN.
According to Leverant, college is no longer the default pathway for high school graduates. Many are exploring alternatives, such as the military, trade school, and certification programs. These options can be just as valuable and even make homeownership easier.
Crist Morillon, a mobile service technician at Lucid Motors in Newark, CA, is one example of an individual who skipped college but was able to buy her first home at age 24.
Instead of going the traditional college route, Morillon chose to attend Universal Technical Institute, where she focused on automotive training. After graduating in about a year, she went straight into the workforce as a service assistant and worked her way up into a technician position.
Morillon explains that by starting her career earlier than most people, she had more time to build income, gain stability, and prepare for big goals like buying a home.
“I don’t regret not going to college. My path looked a little different, but it gave me things I’m really grateful for: real experience, stability, and the chance to grow without taking on student loan debt,” says Morillon.
Michael Ray from Westfield, IN, is another example of someone who didn’t go to college but purchased a home, in his case back in the late 1990s. Ray, who has been a homeowner for most of his adult life, recently closed on his third home through NewDay USA.
Immediately after high school, Ray joined the U.S. Army and spent 22 years in the Special Forces, with tours in Europe and the Pacific. The military was his college, his career, and the reason he earned benefits like the VA home loan that are still helping him today.
“For me, skipping college and joining the military was the right path, but everyone’s situation is different. Not carrying student loan debt definitely helped, and the VA home loan benefit I earned through my service made my most recent home purchase possible,” Ray explains.
High-paying careers that don’t require college
Yes, there are several viable high-paying careers that don’t require a college degree. However, it’s important to note you can’t just jump into them without experience, a certification, or technical knowledge.
Here are a few examples of careers you can pursue to avoid massive student loan debt and potentially achieve homeownership earlier in life:
Electricians
Electricians must complete a four or five year apprenticeship, but here’s the good news: It’s paid.
“The national median electrician salary is $62,350. But electricians who know how to work on data centers or industrial facilities often make six figures,” says Fraser Patterson, CEO at Skillit, an AI-driven hiring platform based in New York City.
Job growth for electricians is expected to be 9% through 2034.
Construction superintendent and project manager
Once you become a journeyman electrician, learn some management skills, and obtain a few years of experience, the jobs really start coming in.
“Skills it takes to manage a construction crew are in high demand and now pay between $95,000 to $140,000. The top wages go to former trade professionals who learn how to combine their field experience with online and software-enabled project management skills,” Patterson explains.
Specialized welders
Welder training programs are available at trade schools and community colleges and run $5,000 to $15,000.
Once you complete one in one or two years, Patterson explains you may earn $80,000 to $120,000 or more.
“Specialize in commercial, industrial, and data centers for opportunities to set yourself up for the highest wages,” Patterson says.
Cybersecurity roles
You don’t need a degree to work in cybersecurity but you will need to gain some experience through courses and certifications.
Not only is the median salary for an information security analyst $124,910 (a popular job title in cybersecurity), job growth is projected to be 29% through 2034.
How to determine whether college is worth it
At the end of the day, it’s not about “college or no college.”
“You should be thinking about what’s the most efficient path to a successful career and choose accordingly,” says Leverant.
And if homeownership is important to you, the question then becomes which path—college, trade school, the military, certifications, or real-world experience—can help you build the type of financial stability that may allow you to achieve it earlier in life.
Your interests and goals play a role as well. If becoming a doctor is your lifelong dream, for example, pursuing college—even though it may delay homeownership—might make sense.
If you’re unsure of what to do, consider working with a career coach to explore your options.
