Podcast Summary: The Ben Shapiro Show

Episode: Should Gen Z Go To College?
Date: September 24, 2025
Host: Ben Shapiro (A) | The Daily Wire
Key Theme:
Ben Shapiro interrogates whether Generation Z should pursue higher education, examining the value of college degrees in today’s job market, the evolution of higher education, alternatives such as apprenticeships, and the effects of AI. The discussion critically evaluates college as a universal prescription and explores what young people should really consider before enrolling.

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ben Shapiro explores the pressing question facing Gen Z: “Should I go to college?” Drawing from historical context, current job market dynamics, and the influence of AI, Shapiro challenges the notion that college is the best or only path for everyone. He proposes that the answer depends on personal goals, chosen fields, and honest cost-benefit analysis, while advocating for alternatives like apprenticeships and startup universities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Should—and Shouldn’t—Go to College?

• STEM vs. Other Majors:
  • College is a “very good option” for those entering science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) fields. Shapiro stresses,

    “You're not going to learn much about that outside of a solid college.” (00:14)

  • For many other majors (e.g., sociology, education), racking up “hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt” is often unjustifiable given the poor job prospects and alternative ways to gain similar knowledge or experience.
• Self-Education:
  • A select few, like future startup founders, benefit from self-directed learning, but Shapiro notes:

    “The vast majority of people do need some sort of intellectual educational structure in order to learn the things that allow them to progress.” (00:37)

2. The Historical Evolution of College

• Mission Drift:
  • Early American colleges emphasized both job skills and character-building (“citizenship and religion”). Citing King’s College (now Columbia University), Shapiro notes:

    “The goal was to inculcate beliefs in citizenship and religion alongside a secular education so that you could actually become a good citizen and part of your community.” (01:19)

  • This mission faded in the early 20th century. Today’s colleges, Ben argues, are more about socializing (“rack up debt, drink and sleep around... or watch porn alone in your dorm room.”) (01:48)

3. The Case for Apprenticeships

• Alternatives to College:
  • Ben highlights the merits of apprenticeships, as was common historically for professions like law and blacksmithing. He suggests,

    “There's no reason why we shouldn't take high IQ high schoolers and put them in apprenticeship situations. They'll probably learn more that way than... college courses.” (02:13)

4. Is Reform Possible?

• Briefly addressing a question about universities possibly changing political or practical orientation, Shapiro clarifies:

  “The university's political orientation is less the problem than their orientation toward the job market in general.” (02:44)

5. The Statistical Case: Does College Guarantee Success?

• Confounding Variables:

  • He questions the frequently cited income gap between college graduates and non-graduates, warning that correlations are misleading due to self-selection:

    “What is the intelligence level of people going to college versus people who don’t?... If those smart people... didn’t go to college, would he still be successful in life? The answer is probably yes.” (03:24)

• Major Matters:

  “You'll see people conflate all sorts of majors as though if you major in engineering, that is the same thing as majoring in sociology or lesbian dance theory. It absolutely is not.” (03:43)

  • He also warns about “scam colleges” and the inflation of useless credentials.

6. The Changing Labor Market & AI

• Credential Inflation:

  • Many jobs now demand a degree merely because so many applicants have them—creating a credential arms race.

    “If you want to be a barista at Starbucks, you might need a college degree now, because every other person... has a college degree.” (04:07)

• AI’s Impact on Education and Work:

  • Shapiro predicts AI will radically disrupt education and job requirements, shifting from “IQ plus education plus job training” to:

    “IQ plus AI plus job training equals the outcome. Because the AI is going to replace part of IQ and also part of education.” (04:18)

  • This could democratize opportunity or—alternatively—push more people into manual labor, depending on how the technology unfolds.

7. No One-Size-Fits-All Answer

• Personalization is Key:
  • Shapiro underscores that the right path varies by individual:

    “Everybody wants a sort of one size fits all here. I don't think there is a one size fits all.” (05:07)

  • He urges students who do choose college to scrutinize school ideology, cost, and alternatives such as the University of Austin or Hillsdale College.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On College’s Evolving Purpose

  “Now college is basically someplace you go for four years to rack up debt, drink and sleep around... or to watch porn alone in your dorm room. That seems not like a wonderful progression for college.”
  — Ben Shapiro (01:38)

• On Statistical Realities

  “If those smart people, the guy with a 1600 SAT score, didn’t go to college, would he still be successful in life? The answer is probably yes.”
  — Ben Shapiro (03:29)

• On Major Differences

  “You'll see people conflate all sorts of majors as though if you major in engineering, that is the same thing as majoring in sociology or lesbian dance theory. It absolutely is not.”
  — Ben Shapiro (03:43)

• On the Influence of AI

  “AI is going to replace both part of IQ and also part of education... it’s going to flatten the job market in some pretty incredible ways.”
  — Ben Shapiro (04:19)

• On Individual Choice

  “It depends on the kind of person you are, what you're going to do with that time... College is certainly not for everybody.”
  — Ben Shapiro (05:01)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:00–01:19: Should Gen Z go to college? — Breakdown by field and purpose
• 01:19–01:48: Historical evolution of college’s role
• 01:48–02:13: Alternatives: The case for apprenticeships
• 02:23–02:44: Q&A about university reform and politics
• 03:24–03:43: The statistical reality about college and income
• 04:07–04:19: Credential inflation and the barista effect
• 04:18–05:07: The role of AI and the individualized answer

Conclusion

Ben Shapiro’s discussion critiques the presumption that all young people should attend college, especially in light of rising costs, questionable ROI for many degrees, and the rapidly changing job landscape wrought by AI. He advocates a discernment-based approach: prioritizing STEM or high-value fields for traditional college, seeking apprenticeships or alternative education where practical, and scrutinizing both the monetary and ideological value of any institution considered.

Bottom line:

College is not for everyone—and increasingly, it shouldn’t be. Consider your goals, the value of your chosen field, and embrace alternative pathways where they promise greater returns.