Dirty Jobs' Mike Rowe on the High Cost of College (Full Interview) 

I really like this guy. He answered a question, "I have no idea" instead of trying to pretend he knew the answer. He's real.

What I hate about college is requiring courses that aren't related to your major.

As a plumber for the last 35 years, I find the 30 minutes I spend each evening scrubbing the days work off off my hands at the kitchen sink are some of my favorite moments of the day. Knowing I've actually built something tangible that is going to work for my customer and their families for the next 30 years or so is extremely satisfying. The idea that there so many jobs in the trades that pay EXTREMELY well cannot be filled because people somehow think that the trades are "less than" simply astounds me. My career as a plumber has been totally satisfying and I'm very proud of it. If you're thinking of getting into the trades, they are an excellent living and I encourage you to give them a try. You may be suprised what a fantastic career you can have.

I can’t imagine anyone finding his opinions ridiculous. Such a stand up honest guy.

Proud state college drop-out turn welder right here. Mike Rowe is an inspiration

Mike is right. I double majored in finance and accounting and paid for college by working in the trades. I worked in finance for a few years and was promoted 3 times, but I found that it made me unhappy. I was the number 2 man right behind the CFO of the company but I made less money than when I was self employed. I missed being self employed and I missed the trades. When I quit everyone thought I'd lost my mind but the truth was that I was seeking happiness. I build homes one at a time and I sell them. I do all the plumbing, HVAC, Electric, tile, flooring, windows, doors, trim work...pretty much everything accept for the masonry, framing, and roofing. My motto is, "If it doesn't outlast my grandchildren then I did a poor job". I love my work.

My son graduated from high school as a certified welder. He bought his house, married and have 3 great kids. My daughter went to community college and got her RN license. Never put a person down for not going to university.

Never confuse education with intelligence."

Only go to college for a STEM degree, otherwise learn a trade. You don't need an English degree to be an author, you don't need a theatre degree to be a good singer/actor, you don't need a gender studies degree to be stupid.

I would vote for Mike Rowe for ANY office without hesitation. Love this guy....

"I don't wanna 'should' all over everybody". Humility like that is why you just cant dislike Mike Rowe

That college poster he was talking about at the beginning was perfectly accurate. The college grad was proudly holding a piece of paper and the other guy had a job.

A smart president would appoint Mike Rowe as Secretary of Labor.

I could listen to this guy all day.

My son was a "slow learner" in school and written off by his 6th grade school teacher. He got the help he really needed in high school, went to trade school, and now makes a base sallery of $85 thousand and loves the work. He lives off of the money he gets for food and a living expense and banks all of the sallery. I wish I had not gone to college and gotten a degree I never used. I wish I had gone to a trade school and learned one of the trades like electricity or plumbing.

Two things about college: my son started attending college just before Covid started. They move the classes to online learning and they had to do it from their dorm with no interaction with the teachers barely teaching and so many of these kids are suffering from not getting a full education yet the colleges have made no provisions financially to account for the fact that their education is may be a third of the “quality “ It was prior to Covid. Second, I have noticed a trend of job postings in things like Indeed asking for Master’s degrees for 14 dollar an hour jobs. If I had to guess, I think it is because they know they can get younger workers that are desperate because of having so much debt and not finding jobs for their liberal arts degrees. If they hired older workers they know they have to pay higher wages because life and work experience means more money desired.

College was great for my parents. It transformed their lives by taking both of them from poor rural upbringings to rich suburban adult living. Unfortunately because of this they tended to look down upon anyone who had no college, which caused me to feel inadequate until I enrolled. Long story short: I ended up wasting at least ten of the best prime years of my life before finally dropping out of college, after which I attended a 7-month trade school in electronic drafting which provided me with a truly fulfilling and well-paying career which has lasted 20 years now. Our society's assembly-line mentality--especially regarding education--has ruined almost as many people as it has helped, I think. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for education. Not even college. People are different.

Mike Rowe is an American treasure and an American hero.

I got a criminal justice degree, a bachelors degree btw. I work in a prison. A degree not required. If I could sell my degree back to my college and get 1/4 of my tuition back. I WOULD in a second.

This country needs more Mike Rowes'!!

I always loved Mike Rowe on Dirty Jobs. after watching that interview I realized he's just the way he was on the show just a real person. I wish more people had the balls to just say what was on their mind and not worry about being politically correct. Mike Rowe you are the man.

As someone who is a university graduate, I wanted to add some additional thoughts: not only do I agree with what Mike is saying regarding the need to have more incentive for individuals to pursue vocational trades, I would also argue that our university system needs to be revamped to place more emphasis on practical knowledge versus theory. I have a degree in electrical engineering, one of the touted 'STEM' areas. Yet the biggest shock for me when I graduated was realizing how ill-prepared I was with the necessary practical skills that I now utilize on a day-to-day basis in my work. They spent so much time in my engineering classes teaching us rudimentary theory that they failed to emphasize the practical aspect of what we were learning. And even when they did, it was all antiquated knowledge that had no basis in the modern world.

Dirty jobs was the best reality show ever hands down. It was so real, no fake crappy drama added in for “excitement”. It was truly great.

Been plumbing for 5 years now. Never went to university only trade college. Mike rowes a smart man

I had a similar convo with my HS counselor and said I don't want to go to college... I had no money, was smart enough at 18 years old to know I didn't want that debt, and didn't even know what I wanted to do with my life. He wrote me off at that point. 15 years later... I'm pulling down a good salary at a job where I worked my way up. It can happen without college!

"Identify the thing that most people don't want to do, figure out a way to do it, and then figure out a way to love it." -- Mike Rowe

I'm a mechanical engineer.. my brother is uneducated (no school). I'm jobless and he is currently employed at the biggest company in the region. He worked his way up, being a helper, then a industrial mechanic and now has all manners of certificates and courses behind him. He could take jobs that pay twice what my starting salary will be if he decides to go offshore. Of course, there was a bit of luck involved in his climb up. Some good timings where he got the job through family relations and the opportunity to HOLD said job. Building experience and eventually landing the job with a much larger company as they needed skilled labor. Meanwhile I got a job at different places. IT, Carpentry, Electronics.. so many places that either went under, had no need for lengthy employment or was just straight up dead ends. Eventually I decided to spend 4 years getting a degree because I started feeling that this was my only shot. One year later I can't even get an UNPAID job.. because the market just doesn't want to train Engineers. It's going to be fun in 5 years from now when they can't find any fucking experienced Engineers and the rest have gone off to retirement.

"An army of angry acronyms!!!!" 😂😂😂😂 I almost died! 😂

I've noticed something about the "dirty Jobs" show: NO feminist group complained about the stark inequality of the sexes for these jobs.

Damn he's a smart guy, I can't believe how intelligent and well-spoken Mike Rowe is. It's just amazing.

ive done welding, it sucks, the prep work is fun, but welding itself is so much muscle memory and the fumes are awful, not just the smell but the toxicity. if you like it, power to you, i learned it to have something handy, but its not a job for everyone

I am starting college.... at age 35. Actually, I agree with Mike. I been working in the manufacturing industry as a machinist. It doesn't pay a whole lot, but where I live it isn't hard to find a job opening. Plus, these jobs need skilled labor. I want to get into Manufacturing Engineering which is perfect for me because I have worked with lots of the machines in the manufacturing industry and understand the processes involved. Basically, I am better suited for an engineering job more so than most of the young people who are graduating from college.

"There are an army of angry acronyms out there" This guy is a gold mine of wisdom.

This guy is my hero. He 100000% understands what my generation is facing. He is the only one from an older generation who doesn't have his head buried in the sand! :P

When my dad grew up and had to go to work he started at a shipyard, as a 14 year old boy he learned to be a welder. He was under the guardianship of an elder man who taught him all about welding. In all the work he did as a welder he became the best there was, everywhere he worked. Without any diplomas, if there was a difficult welding job they send my dad. So I understand Mike, in our country it was a normal procedure for all kinds of companies who looked for skilled kids to put them into a teaching and working environment to gradually learn about the job. But now all of that is gone, the education system is to speak with Mike " down the drain " . So all of you kids, listen to Mike, take pride in a Dirty job.

I just got a trade job, and I'm so thankful I didn't rush off into college and put myself into crippling debt

30:38 "I don't know." I love that answer. I can't stress that enough. Why can't more people just admit that?

I'm suddenly a Mike Rowe fan. I love how much he's undoubtably thought about this.

Do you ever get tired of listening to this man speak?? The most plain spoken yet articulate and painfully honest spokesman for the working class. He is a national treasure and he really should be more front and center in the national discussion on labor and involved directly with the white house.

Love this guy. I never went to college and make 100k/yr in the trades.

going to school for welding and metal fabrication. paying America back by building it.

Conclusion , go for jobs that are in demand .

One thing that was not mentioned here is the fact that in many cases the shortages of qualified tradespeople was caused by the companies that are now trying to hire these non-existent workers. Back in the early 1980's many companies like General motors stopped apprenticing entry level workers claiming that it was too expensive to train them. As trained workers left the workplace by going to another career, retiring, or dying, there were no new trainees to take their place. Now we have come full swing and these same shortsighted companies are complaining that they can't get skilled or entry level workers to fill these vacant positions. I myself personally signed four people on as apprentices knowing full well that I could get into hot water because no one else wanted to sign them. I had to sign my own son up when he grew tired of cooking in a restaurant and realized it was a dead end for him. The very first day of job hunting he stopped in at a shop on the way to the bus stop. He told them that he was looking for work as an apprentice welder and was told that yes, they were looking for some one but they really didn't want to go through the headache of signing someone up. (Signing the paperwork takes all of an hour.) My son explained that he was already registered in the program. He started the next morning at 7 AM working ten hours a day. I personally know at least twenty people with university degrees that are now making more money than they ever could have as "professionals" by working in the trades. The trades paid their student debt off. The trades purchased their homes, bought their cars, and are helping to raise their families. I'm not saying trades work is easy because it isn't. But the trades are a good way to go and can lead to a much better life if you are willing to put in the effort required to make the grade. Did you know that most of the Local Unions are looking for youngsters to apprentice and can't find enough that are interested? Did you know that most of the Labour organizations have programs for returning Veterans to get into the trades? Probably not. A former Lady friend of mine told me when her son returned home from the Navy he couldn't get a decent job anywhere in New York City. Someone put him on track and today he makes well over $100,000 a year working as a welder with the Iron Workers and he's never looked back. The trades aren't the grueling endeavour like they were when I started back in the 70's. Today with the safety programs and the training available you can expect to live a long and productive life and actually have something to show for it when it comes time to retire. Some trades can even be carried over into retirement on a part time basis should you need extra cash or something to keep you occupied. A seventy year old plumber can still replace a kitchen faucet or install a new toilet and he won't charge you an arm and a leg to do it. Did you know that one of the largest construction projects in the U.S. was the "Big Dig" in Boston and that many of the workers on that job were single mothers that were given the opportunity to apprentice in the trades? When the work was given the go ahead the local Carpenters Union realized they could not man it. Some one proposed that since a good portion of the work was going to be done in the city itself that they might approach the folks living in the inner city about possibly going to work as apprentices. They placed an add in the newspapers asking for people who wanted to be carpenters to please come forth. The result? They were overwhelmed. Over 5,000 applicants, many of them single moms on assistance because they had no salable skills. The local decided to use aptitude testing to find the best and most likely to succeed. The other Local Unions, electricians, ironworkers, pipefitters, insulators, so on and so forth stepped up to the plate and looked at retaining and training those that did not have the skills to be carpenters but might fit in in another field. The result? Almost 3/4 of the applicants were accepted into the trades and many managed to attain journeyman status before the work was finished.

There is two kind of young men out there... 1) You give them a task, they finish it, and wait for you to give them another one. 2) You give them a task to finish, and when they are done, they start the next one by themself.

TO be simple, from my 51 years of adult life. and 14 " careers " I have tried, I have realized that a worker's efforts and time are commodities, BUT they are not ones that wealthy or management folks tend to value enough. . SO each job or career choice boils down to this . . IF the work energy/time/filth/discomfort/stress/sweat/wear & tear on the body/ etc etc etc are not FULLY covered by the wage amount then either DO NOT take that job because its a bad buy. .. Like you are selling a decent 2 years old car for the price of a 15 yr old beater. . . BUT IF you are in poverty and desperate, then take the job but IMMEDIATELY begin to shop around for one that DOES adequately compensate for those things. . . . Wages are NOT ONLY a price per hour, they are also a reimbursement for time away from family, indignity, efforts ( sweat ) , stress, hassle etc etc etc and ANY JOB that doesnt cover those areas is paying a worker to take a loss in life.

In my mind, success isn't measured by how high you're getting paid from your job. Your job isn't what makes you successful, its how you manage your money.

I had reached a point in my life that I decided I wanted to expand my design/drafting abilities some years ago, so I chose to attend a technical college (mistakenly a for profit one). I went for an AAS in Computer Drafting & Design that led me to a BAS in Technical Project Management. That provided the opportunity to a Drafter/Designer position with a global high speed cable manufacturing company. As it turned out, I was so good at my job they absolutely refused to promote me to a Design Engineer position after four years with the company. Now here's the really aggravating problem. They said I needed more experience, but they hired "kids" straight out of school (regular four year college) with ZERO EXPERIENCE for the position I had applied for and had essentially been doing for a little more than a year and a half. To add insult to frustration they asked me to train some of the brand new Design Engineers and teach them how to create 3D models and 2D drawings as well as the engineering process. Now keep in mind these are fresh graduates with Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and they don't even know 3D modeling or drafting 101. So I started pushing up the chain of command for why I'm not good enough to be an Engineer, but I'm good enough to train them how to do their jobs. The final straw that broke this camels back was, "well you haven't payed your dues yet and the school you went to". So what I found out is basically since I attended a tech school I wasn't good enough to join the good ole boys club. In fact I found out almost a year after I quit due to no real advancement opportunity, which was promised to me prior to accepting the job, if I prove my ability that they would never promote me because there were several Engineers and a couple managers that felt threatened by my abilities. This was a situation one of my college instructors had warned me that I would likely run into because I was so good, which I took as both a compliment and a omen. The lesson I learned was that in the field of Mechanical Engineering it doesn't matter what you know or how good you are, it's who you know and what school you went to. So, now I am attempting to follow one of my passions. I'm working on starting up the first "green" all electric and organic lawn care service in my state. I want to get it started the spring of 2019, but I'm afraid that funding is going to become the death of it before I can even get it started. Unfortunately I'm finding out that grants are next to impossible to get, because once again the "good ole boys club" and the only way I can get the $100k that It's going to take to start up is to obtain at least $20k on my own to get the additional $80k business loan from the bank is grants or fundraisers which have not worked for me in the past. So now here I am, a disabled veteran (fighting for my VA benefits) planning on being physically able to get back working by the spring watching yet another dream crash and burn due to no real advancement opportunities because of the corrupt business atmosphere our country has been thrust into. Doesn't mean I'm giving up. I'm still & will continue fighting for my opportunity to feel productive and proud. I just have to keep adapting and improvising so I can overcome the hurdles set before me.

Blue collar work became a dirty word back in the 80's. All my buddies that went to tech school and later started their own business are more well off then the most of the people that got a 4 yr college degree. I'm proud to be a mechanic & construction worker. I never been in debt and was able to retire at 57 with several million dollars in investment and steady income of 12 rental properties.

My happiest job was the hardest one I ever had: package handler. It wasn't so much that I had special skills lifting and fitting boxes, but that I chose to work hard and do the job as best as I could. Even though I'd work in 100 degrees or below zero and come home covered in suit, I've never had more satisfaction in anything I've done; even though my kind of labor wasn't praised on television, I had no doubts that what I was doing was worth while.

I was already a fan of Dirty Jobs and I've come to like him even more after his interviews with Glenn Beck.

Great interview! There is no shame in an honest day's work for honest pay, plain and simple.

Mike Rowe is so awesome I cant even describe it!

I do all repairs and maintenance on my car and house myself. Damn it is so satisfying. If I was good at it, I'd like a job like that. But in my country, these jobs are not really appreciated yet.

Electrical Refrigeration Plumbing Boiler Maker/Welding If you don't know what you want to do or don't care, these make you money. Anywhere in the world, in the roughest economic climate you will always have a paycheck. And with so many niche sub-branches you can specialize in, if you only have half a brain you'll still make good money.

As a tradesman who also was in charge of managing safety and will being, Mike Rowe is my man. He really gets it.

I liked Mike Rowe’s authenticity. He’s real. The fact that he said “I don’t know” instead of coming up with some bullshit statement says it all.

Do remember telling' my kids that ya gotta learn how to teach yourself, how to "figure things out". You'll go broke paying a prof to show ya everything.

Technology can reduce the need for manual labor - because more can be automated, more can be done by computers and robots... That's true but caveats: 1) Getting there takes a long time. And automation is not always more cost effective in all situations. 2) We still need people to run and maintain and repair the robots 3) Human beings still need physical activity, so some even in a robot filled future, a lot of physical tasks still make sense

I love this guy. This conversation needs to be happening everywhere. College is ridiculously expensive and most times, unnecessary.

Smart, raw, as real as it gets! If only we could make more people like him, Love Mike Rowe!

"Industrial Arts!" I'll be 52 next month (November 2014) and 6 years of industrial arts made it possible for me to be graduated from high school. Academically, I felt like I was being taught the same old math, spelling and sugar coated history that I had been taught the previous year. Every industrial arts course I ever took, showed me something new. I learned a new skill that I didn't have the year before. I was graduated from high school in 1981, and I haven't ever been unemployed. I'll make $100K this year, and my 5 highest years of income averaged equals $84K. I have no formal college education. There are jobs available that you might not WANT to do, but the reality is, they're probably your ticket to financial stability and success.

Wow. Great Interview. Never knew Rowe was so well spoken. With an 9 and 7 year old, our education system concerns me more than ever.

This was the coolest video I've seen in a while. Thanx for the upload

Great interview. Thank you.

I chose to enlist into the US Navy to begin my life and career of electronics technician, which I learned that I had a natural ability to understand. The education and experience that I gained during my enlistment propelled me into a few good jobs over the years and is responsible for my ability to perform my job today as a mail processing equipment mechanic for the US Postal Service.

Mike Rowe for President!

what a great interview! Thankyou, ReasonTV, for all the amazing content.

Watched dirty jobs back when I was a little kid always found all those jobs interesting and now here I am at 16 definitely not gonna go to college and planning on going to trade school to be an electrician. Specifically a construction based electrician.

This is so true ! I was laughing with a liquor store owner about a week ago, he put an ad out looking for a cashier and has people with masters degrees who owe tens of thousands in student loans applying for the job that pays $12 an hour because their degrees are of no use in the real world.. I didn't finish high school, I got a truck driving license for $1,200 bucks I make over TWICE that much at $25 an hour and have medical and dental benefits LOL

This was a great interview. I never knew Mike was a such a reasonable, thoughtful guy. I tend to take for granted that I am not going to agree with anyone on TV.

Love your channel! Thanks Mike!

Just looked at this in March 2019. Amazing how right on and far seeing this interview was for today. Just amazing.

Love MIke's point of view. Love his embrace of intellectual discussion without sacrificing his roots. Bravo, and huzzah!

When speaking of his own occupation, Mike mentioned how selling the uncertainty of his show left producers uneasy. Having heard that, I can see why we have so many "scripted reality" (oxymoron of the year) shows now. Anyway, great interview. I think Mike's got a really good grip on the subject and look forward to hearing more from him.

Awesome interview. Loved the things we're said are so true

Excellent interview and a respectable interviewer. Great work and as relevant as ever!

Man so glad you guys did this interview~! It really was awesome!

College isn't for everyone. It really depends on what it is you want to do. We have glorified wall street lawyer and made it shameful to be a plumber. That's what Mike is saying. Both kinds of work are valuable, but we made one kind of work seem better than another.

Finding ways to get more from the huge talent pool we have is more important now than ever. Thank you for taking on this important education task.

Mike Rowe IS and will FOREVER BE a class act.

One of the most important interviews I've heard in YEARS!

This was a great and very interesting interview! I thoroughly enjoyed and learned from it.

“He’s qualified, but he’s not credentialed”. He nailed it with that statement.

Mike is so articulate and insightful. I had no intention of watching this, but once I started, I couldn't stop.

Great interview!

i am a recent high school graduate. When i was in school there was a push for everyone to go to College or join the military. They said there was no other option. Then i told them i am going to get my CDL and drive a truck like my father. They nearly had a cow. I beat my body up as a young child (i know i am still young) and cant possibly sit in a office chair. i then remembered my father driving a massive frieghtliner across the US south and i feel in love with trucking again as a young adult. Edit: i feel out of love with it. I gained 40 lbs and got depressed. joining the military now. thanks everyone.

I love how Mike speaks admirably and respectfully about his father and grandfather💕💕💕

Brilliant interview. Gotta love Mike Rowe. He makes so much sense.

Is it just me or did those 40 mins flew by? When the guy said "we'll leave it there" I was like, but what about the other half of the video, then I realized it has been 40 mins. I really could listen to Mike talk all day

As someone who has been unemployed for 4 years now, simply because I have a degree. I agree 100% with Mike Rowe. If I had to do it again. I would have never gone to college. Not worth it.

What a delight to hear an in-depth, intelligent conversation on an important subject by two intelligent guys. In 40 minutes I learned an awful lot.

Mike, You are so sensible and down to earth! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Outstanding! Work Safe and Work Good.

LOVE Mike Rowe... so glad he came on here!!

We need Kevin o Leary Dave Ramsey and Mike Rowe to do something about work, investing and getting out of debt

Great video! So glad to have found someone who will speak up about the job market! - From a young Canadian business owner

Mike Rowe for Prez!

Mike Rowe is an amazing and inspirational dude. Love his take on hard work!

Mike is the man !!! practical with common sense !!

Enjoyed the show Mike. You make a lot of sense.