Why Tech Execs Still Want Their Kids in College—But Not for the Reasons You'd Think

College's value proposition is under siege. Only one-third of Americans now believe a four-year degree justifies its cost, and AI has turbocharged skepticism—47% of current college students have considered switching majors because of artificial intelligence. Yet when Business Insider asked nine prominent tech CEOs and executives how they're guiding their own children on higher education, nearly all endorsed college, albeit with a radical reframing of what it's actually for.

The shift is striking: these leaders have abandoned the traditional "degree-to-job" pipeline logic. Matt Blumberg, CEO of Markup AI, explicitly rejects his parents' generation's rationale, noting that "college does not have to funnel you directly into a particular job, especially in a world where that job might not exist in five years." Instead, tech executives are positioning college as a crucible for building irreplaceable human capabilities. Stephen Upstone (LoopMe) frames it around "independence as adults, develop reasoning, and make friends for life." Ali Kashani (Serve Robotics) emphasizes learning "how to think critically, how to work hard," alongside building "lifelong relationships." Greg Brown (Illumia) explicitly discourages narrow specialization, advocating instead for skills like "communication, critical thinking, judgment, and adaptability."

But here's the tension: these same execs are aggressively integrating AI into their children's education rather than avoiding it. Tim Sheehan (Greenlight) bought his 17-year-old a ChatGPT Plus subscription to help with physics and advanced math—with strict guardrails to prevent passive answer-copying. Kashani doubles down: "AI is going to shape nearly every industry, and having fluency in that space will be incredibly valuable." The message is clear—college isn't about avoiding disruption; it's about becoming adaptable enough to surf it.

There are notable dissents. Dan Ye (CollegeNode) drew a hard line: he wouldn't encourage his sons to study humanities and sees real value only at "top-30 universities" given the cost-benefit calculus. Amy Kopelman (Pathlitics) is actively exploring alternatives for her 16-year-old daughter, emphasizing real-world volunteering and hands-on experience in childcare—a sector she correctly identifies as AI-resistant. Justice Eroline (BairesDev) acknowledged that success without a degree is possible but dismissed it as an exception rather than a playbook. The consensus, then, isn't absolute endorsement—it's conditional: college matters, but only if you're investing in what humans can do that machines cannot.