# College Degrees: Still Worth It in 2026?

- Topic: india
- Source: [The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/is-college-worth-it-in-2026/articleshow/135040596.cms)
- Published: 2026-10-19
- Original: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/is-college-worth-it-in-2026/articleshow/135040596.cms
- Language: en
- Image: https://static.toiimg.com/photo/msid-135041212,imgsize-149638.cms

## At a glance

- University education still seen as a key social mobility tool in India, with families willing to incur debt for a degree.
- Critics claim AI and online courses make traditional degrees redundant, but data shows AI can improve homework yet hurt exam performance without teacher guidance.
- Universities teach learning strategies, discipline, and critical thinking - skills that self‑study platforms cannot fully replicate.
- Campus life offers peer mentorship, exposure to diverse viewpoints, and access to specialized research that is hard to find outside academia.

## Sources

- [The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/is-college-worth-it-in-2026/articleshow/135040596.cms)

## The story

Many students and parents still question whether a university education remains a worthwhile investment in 2026. The author, who studied at IIT Kharagpur, notes that families often sacrifice financially to secure a degree, seeing it as a social ladder. Critics argue that rapid technological progress and the rise of AI‑enabled online learning render traditional degrees obsolete, and that the pay gap between degree holders and non‑holders has narrowed. The writer counters that universities teach how to learn, not just what to learn, a skill that AI and self‑study cannot fully replicate. He cites data from Chinese and Turkish classrooms showing that while AI can boost homework performance, it may undermine exam results unless guided by teacher‑designed prompts. The piece also highlights that university courses, such as those at ISB, integrate country‑specific knowledge and research that is difficult to find outside academia. Moreover, the author argues that the campus experience fosters peer interaction, mentorship, and exposure to diverse perspectives, which are essential for personal and professional growth. Concluding, he maintains that despite the availability of free online resources, the structured, disciplined environment of higher education remains critical for developing hard skills that drive long‑term career success.

> Summary by Daily Read Bytes. [Read the original source](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/is-college-worth-it-in-2026/articleshow/135040596.cms)