Education is useful in the workforce if it's targeted. Traditionally a college education for most people doesn't pay out for up to 10-15 years post-graduation.

Honestly unless somebody is paying your way through, for many fields it's better working for a few years then going back to school in your late 20's. Then you can get a degree in the field that you are actually working in.

"Entry level" jobs have been "Degree + 2-3 years experience" since I graduated college and it's only gotten worse in the past 25 years.

For the 10 years post graduation I made less money than I did driving trucks during college