I describe it to the youth like this: Getting a degree might not be the fastest way to riches for the exceptionally entrepreneurial/resourceful (who are few,) but it's still by far the most reliable way to reach financially comfort or affluence in the US if you weren't born into it (or if you're entrepreneurial it amplifies what you can do.)

I did a few years of college and got an associate's before dropping out, didn't finish my degree until quite a few years later. I've been fortunate and have privilege, but I most likely would have done better financially if I'd finished a STEM degree from a state school earlier.