- College costs have risen much faster than inflation.
- At the same time, state subsidies funding universities have declined fairly dramatically since the recession, further increasing out of pocket costs.
- For many students, prestige and amenities are much more important than cost. When you see someone paying six figures for a university education, they're not picking the high-quality, cheap option. They're picking the (hopefully) high-quality, prestigious option.
- In the USA, anyone can go to a university. Anyone. Academic ability is almost irrelevant. Unfortunately, the least academically qualified students are often persuaded into attending very expensive for-profit universities.
- Student loans are very readily available.
- Academically excellent students in many, maybe even most, states almost always get a free ride to an in-state public university.
- Two year community colleges are very cheap, and generally offer an Associate's degree and easy transfer to the closest four-year university.
It is still very possible to go to school and graduate with no debt. I did it in 2011.
That's ~50% more than the average American household income. To do work that's not related to a degree, and without work history to show performance?
That's an example of a shocking choice if given the opportunity for a math major bartending in a college town?
You should get out of the SV sometimes. Most of them are doing fine.
I have not one iota of doubt he would do anything for a position at Uber with even a modest (<$75k) yearly salary regardless of location or any other benefits. And it is my belief this represents a vast majority of software developers around the world.
Are you in your early twenties? Poor or in debt? Feeling unimportant? Come work for Uber.
Did you start a family before you were financially prepared? Want to take care of them? Come work for Uber.
Girlfriend break up with you for being an unemployed loser? Come work for Uber.
If this is reminiscent of Wolf of Wall Street, you might be starting to get it. The world is full of poor and disenfranchised people who are willing to do many things that those in a quiet office with a white laptop embalmed with some special Apple, myself included, could likely not even imagine. To say working for Uber, who likely has as many fax pas as any conglomerate, is so horrid is absolutely laughable.
Edit:
The only difference now is that the finance wolves of yesteryear are now slinging code to mine and collect personal information, trigger mobile game purchases, etc.