“What is that piece of paper really going to do for you?”
While Kirk has been outspoken about his views on higher education’s diminishing return on investment for years, many Gen Zers share his skepticism.
For young men looking to not face the same struggles, Kirk’s advice was simple: “do anything” except seek a four-year degree. Instead, make your dreams a reality by doing it on your own terms, encouraging people to pursue entrepreneurship.
At the same time, Kirk often framed his arguments in ideological terms, lamenting that universities were dominated by “far-left professors” who he said pushed “anti-American and progressive ideologies onto students.” Still, he acknowledged exceptions.
“I would say, very bluntly, that maybe if you want to become a doctor or a lawyer or an accountant or an engineer — which, by the way, is a huge minority of people that go to colleges — maybe you should go to college but pick the right one,” Kirk continued. “But the vast majority of kids, the vast majority of kids that go to college, shouldn’t be there at all.”
