As student loan debt explodes and many graduates struggle with underemployment, degrees have become overpriced status symbols—sold on prestige and social approval rather than real economic return. Blue-collar workers in trades like construction, plumbing, electrical work, and logistics are increasingly building wealth without taking on massive debt. Is academic credentials equal intelligence and success, while hands-on work is somehow lesser. Is higher education still an investment—or has it become a luxury brand financed by lifelong debt?