<p>The main point isn’t that everyone should do a 2-yr degree instead of a 4-yr degree. In many fields a 4-yr degree is far more valuable, and, of course, a typical 4-yr degree (even in a STEM field) will expose the student to a variety of intellectual challenges and humanities coursework.</p>
<p>Also, you can’t really compare the socialization and overall experiences in a 4-yr residential degree vs. a 2-yr commuter program. We are indeed talking about two very different things - apples and oranges have more in common!</p>
<p>The point is that for students who are primarily seeking a path to an immediate career, 2-yr degrees can be cheaper and yield short-term results as good as those from some (but not all) 4-year programs. The old “get a BA in anything and get a good job after graduation” strategy doesn’t work nearly as well as it used to, and that BA degree will cost a lot more than it would have a generation ago.</p>