college and why does one go?
Sissy Sue (above) noted a particularly important point regarding higher education: it's not about a career, per se, (unless one opts for medical school or a law degree) but an education that one can build on for the rest of one's life. Career specific degrees are trade schools which are also valuable; however, the trade school is not a mind-broadening experience, but a narrowing one. Online university degrees are about purchasing tickets, not about the university experience.