Elon Musk, the world’s richest man with a net worth of $242 billion, has reignited the ongoing debate about the true value of traditional education. In a recent post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Musk shared a video from a Donald Trump support event in Philadelphia, where he voiced his belief that “college is overrated.” The billionaire highlighted the burden of debt many students accumulate during their college years, often without gaining practical, applicable skills.
College is overrated https://t.co/JJMJAk3w7Y
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 20, 2024
Musk, a double graduate in physics and economics, often spoke out about how he was skeptical of the need for a four-year college degree. During the Philadelphia event, he emphasized the importance of skilled trades over academic degrees, pointing to professions like electricians, plumbers, and carpenters as essential.
"I think the value of a college education is somewhat overweighted," Musk stated. "Too many people spend four years, accumulate a ton of debt, and often don’t have useful skills that they can apply afterward. We need more people working in skilled trades—that's a lot more important than producing more political science majors. We shouldn’t believe that success requires a four-year degree."
Musk’s criticism of traditional education is not new. In 2019, he stirred controversy by tweeting that a college degree is not a requirement for employment at Tesla, his automotive and energy company. At the 2020 Satellite Conference, Musk elaborated on this point, asserting that most knowledge is freely available online, making college unnecessary for learning. "You don’t need college to learn stuff. Everything is available basically for free," he said.
While Musk allows that college has social advantages, he believes colleges are not learning institutions. "I think colleges are basically for fun and to prove you can do your chores. But they're not for learning," he added.
Musk’s comments quickly sparked conversations on X, with many users weighing in on the relevance of traditional education in today’s fast-paced, skills-driven world. One user wrote, "College degrees have their place, but college isn’t for everyone. The system has become high school 2.0 for a lot of people."
Another user agreed with Musk but pointed out that the cost of attending college was still high, stating, "Nothing wrong with a 4-year degree, but it shouldn’t cost so much. Quality, inexpensive online degrees combined with internships are the way to go."
Some questioned how Elon Musk's views align with the hiring practices of his companies. “I wonder how many six-figure jobs at Tesla, SpaceX, and XAI are filled by employees without college degrees or advanced credentials,” a third user commented.
Apple's Tim Cook and Google's Sundar Pichai have echoed similar views, that skills and first-hand experience take precedence over formal academic qualifications, so this and other ideas are part of a wider trend towards the tech industry valuing practical knowledge over formal education.