Alternatives like apprenticeships, coding boot camps, and online certificates may offer faster, lower-cost paths to well-paying jobs. For generations, the path was clear: high school, college, job, stability. Gen Z is also exploring faster, cheaper digital options like coding boot camps, which have an average tuition cost of $13,274. Despite the high price tag of college and the alternative options, the data show that a college degree is still worth it. Otherwise, trade school, coding boot camps, or entering the workforce might be smarter.