College costs are getting more and more expensive by the day, with many private colleges now charging students north of $60-$70,000 per year for tuition.

For parents, grandparents, and the students who often face the six-figure burden of college costs, there is a strong benefit to forgoing college unless the student wants to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or other specialized career.

With college costs sky-high, mastering a skill, passion or trade while others are going into $200,000+ in debt attending college can give young adults a head start on wealth creation and life.

Non-college graduates have plenty of opportunities, including many tech jobs available with good salaries that are not being filled. It was recently reported that AI could do more harm to college graduate required jobs than those jobs that do not require a college degree, as mastering a skill or trade can be extremely lucrative as the workforce is lacking experts in certain trades and skill sets. In fact, you can make over $75,000 in many of the top jobs being offered without a college degree. This is more than most lawyers with $400,000 in student debt out of law school. The common belief that you must go to college to make a living is not true in today’s job market and the job markets of the future.

Further, many Americans have had a hard time paying back debt from college and graduate school, even if you are a lawyer, doctor, or an engineer. Many retired Americans are still paying off their student loans, while a significant amount of people are not paying their loans at all. Over time this debt can be crippling to wealth creation and financial security, so unless you know you are going to be highly compensated for your degree, the cost of taking out student loans might not be worth it in the long run.

College degrees don’t give you real skills to be successful, only life does. Having real life work experiences can be even more valuable than a college degree. Going to an apprenticeship school or getting a job instead of going to college can set one up for tremendous success and give you a head start in building financial security and autonomy for your life. Many of the most passionate and successful people are good at certain skills or trades. So why not develop the skills you are passionate about to have a successful life right away, instead of delaying it for four or more years for a degree you may never use?

The cost benefit of going to college does not make sense right now unless you are preparing for a high-salary and specialized career. Many high school Americans should consider whether going to college is worth it. Learning skills and trades you are passionate about can set you up for a happy and successful life and one does not need to go to college to do this.

Meghan McNulty is an attorney, political commentator, and biomedical engineer based out of Southern California. She is a frequent commentator on national television and radio programs across the country.