Zuckerberg, Gates and Jobs are all billionaires who built their empires without a college degree. Now Peter Thiel, founder of Paypal, is actually paying people not to go to college.  Thiel is offering $100,000 for a select twenty individuals under the age of 20 to not enroll in or actually drop out of college. Even if you are not a genius-entrepreneur under 20, some thought should be given to whether or not your time is more valuable away from the university setting.  The primary factor to consider when discussing college is cost. Financially, N.C. State is a bargain when compared to other universities, landing 9th on the Princeton Review’s best values in public education; however, compared to not going to college at all, the cost is daunting.  With tuition increases inundating an already costly system, it is not surprising that nationally 85 percent of this year’s graduates will have to move back home due to a mountain of debt – $27,200 on average, according to GkBusiness.  The cost of college can hinder your career ambitions. With high college debt it becomes all but impossible to pay off student loans on an intern’s salary, likely forcing graduates into a field outside of their interest just to pay off their loans. People plan to persist their dream after their loans are paid off, but by that time, responsibility has past the point of perusal, making their dream nothing but a cocktail topic. Another cost associated with college is the cost of time. Four years spent as a full-time student, in the prime of your youth, can hinder ambitions.  When my friend – a self-taught computer programmer – was 12, he was making $14.70 an hour. His skill set proves his time here is likely just delaying the development of the next Google. There are many benefits of going to college; however, it is likely that those benefits are maximized by those who find their cost of enrollment to be the least.  An ambition for a career in philosophy is not hindered by the cost of college in time or later fiscal restrictions; enrollment in college is par for the course, and benefits greatly from the college experience.   The cost and benefits of going to college are relative to the individual.  For some it will cost more, for others it will cost less. For some the benefits of college will be invaluable and for others it’ll be worthless.  All of this is to say college for some is a good choice and for others a fruitless effort.  If college will not better your skill set, if college will hinder your career ambitions, if no personal gain is made through your enrollment, then I ask you – why are you here?