- Why Do We Need Expensive College Degrees to Get A Simple Job? Until 1960 or so, the percentage of people getting college degrees was relatively low. There was plenty of work for people who had ‘merely’ graduated from high school, and a high school graduate could support a family. http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/07/26/why-do-we-need-expensivecollege-degrees-to-get-a-simple-job/ 28 comments reddit.com