Letter to the Editor: The Real Threat to Grads Isn’t AI—It’s College

The Real Crisis Facing College Graduates

In today’s fast-paced, tech-driven world, debates around the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace are growing louder. From viral think pieces to high-level boardroom talks, everyone seems to be asking the same question: Will AI replace human jobs? But while headlines warn of robots stealing careers, another, more insidious threat is quietly undermining the future of graduates—our very own higher education system.

AI might be reshaping career paths, but it isn’t the real danger to new grads. The true issue lies in the rising cost, declining academic standards, and questionable job-readiness of college education itself.

Skyrocketing College Costs With Minimal ROI

Let’s start with the elephant in the room: student debt. With tuition costs spiraling out of control, many students are graduating with mountains of loans and little to show for it. Consider these alarming facts:

• Average student loan debt for U.S. college grads in 2024 surpassed $40,000
• The cost of attending a four-year college has increased by over 169% since 1980
• Less than 52% of recent graduates believe their college education prepared them for the workforce

These statistics point to a concerning truth: college is becoming a poor investment. Students shell out tens of thousands of dollars, only to enter an economy where the degree they paid for may not guarantee a job—or even marketable skills.

Education for Education’s Sake?

Many degree programs now prioritize ideological education and theoretical learning over practical, job-oriented skills. While courses in philosophy, sociology, and art history have their place in our cultural fabric, they often don’t translate to employability unless combined with hard, marketable competencies.

As a result, students leave campuses filled with big ideas but lack the tools to excel in a competitive job market. And then we wonder why a large number of graduates are underemployed or working in fields unrelated to their major.

Lowering Academic Standards and Inflated Grades

The quality of academic rigor in American colleges is also under scrutiny. The pursuit of higher graduation rates and tuition dollars has come at a steep cost—lowered academic expectations.

• Grade inflation is rampant, with A’s becoming the most common grade awarded
• Professors often report being pressured to pass students who don’t meet course criteria
• Colleges focus more on “student satisfaction” than on the substance of their education

This culture of leniency creates a dangerous illusion that everyone is excelling, while employers continue to find themselves hiring graduates who lack critical thinking, writing, and problem-solving skills—skills that are arguably more important now than ever in the age of advancement and automation.

Job Preparedness: A Failing Report Card

Employers across industries report dissatisfaction with the way colleges are preparing students for the workforce. While many universities offer career centers and internship programs, these services often operate more as checkboxes than as meaningful launching pads.

Here’s what employers really want:

• Strong communication skills
• Critical thinking and adaptability
• Technical proficiency relevant to their industry
• Work ethic and real-world experience

Sadly, many students graduate without any hands-on experience, networking opportunities, or employable skill sets. More damning is the fact that many employers now provide basic training programs because college grads don’t arrive work-ready—despite their degrees.

AI: A Convenient Scapegoat

So where does AI really fit into this narrative?

AI is transforming industries, no question. From generative AI tools like ChatGPT to automation in medical diagnostics and finance, the workplace is evolving. However, AI is more likely to disrupt routine tasks, not eliminate entire careers. In fact, according to research by McKinsey & Company, AI is expected to complement human work in most fields rather than replace it.

Yes, AI poses challenges:

• It demands new skills such as data literacy and digital collaboration
• It accelerates the pace of workplace change
• It will likely make certain job functions obsolete

But it’s also creating new opportunities. The catch? Graduates must be trained to seize them. And that’s where the failure of higher education becomes the bigger threat—not because college is bad per se, but because it isn’t evolving quickly or effectively enough to serve the economy we now live in.

Solving the Real Problem

The harsh reality is that college, in its current form, is not preparing graduates to thrive in the era of AI—or any era that prizes skills over credentials. So what needs to change?

1. Rethinking Curriculum With Career Relevance

Colleges must update their curriculums to better align with job market trends. This includes:

• Increasing the availability of coding, data analysis, and digital communication courses
• Adding practical experience into every major, not just business or engineering
• Partnering with industries to develop internship and apprenticeship pipelines

2. Embracing Alternative Education Paths

Not every skilled professional needs a four-year degree. The rise of certifications, coding bootcamps, trade schools, and online course platforms is a sign that people are seeking alternatives that provide specific, valuable competencies at a fraction of the cost and time.

Higher education must stop pretending it’s the only gateway to success and instead work alongside these alternatives to offer more flexible, modular, and affordable education.

3. Measuring Education by Outcomes, Not Enrollment

It’s time for universities to be held accountable for results. We should look beyond enrollment numbers and graduation rates, focusing instead on:

• Post-graduate employment rates in relevant fields
• Average salaries of recent graduates
• Debt-to-income ratios post-graduation

Transparency around these metrics can help students make better decisions and push institutions to prioritize real-world value.

The Bottom Line: Revolution, Not Replication

AI shouldn’t be feared—it should be mastered. But for today’s graduates to do that, they need an education system that equips them with the tools, skills, and mindset to adapt, learn, and innovate. Unfortunately, that’s not what most colleges are delivering.

Until higher education undergoes a significant transformation, college itself—not AI—remains the greatest threat to student success. Let’s stop blaming the future and start fixing the present.

Conclusion

In a world where technology evolves by the minute, we can no longer afford to view education as a static model. The students of today deserve better than outdated curricula, bloated costs, and airy promises. They need real training for a real world—not a college brochure fantasy.

The call isn’t to abandon college altogether, but to rebuild it for the age of AI, not against it. Because when students are well-equipped and well-educated, no robot stands a chance.< lang="en">