Is UofT worth it?
While universities used to promise mobility, they now ensure resilience.
For centuries, a university degree, like one from the University of Toronto, has been a prestigious safety net that symbolizes financial security and an assured future. But recently, youth unemployment rates have risen and university graduates are struggling to find their footing in the real world.
The Job Market: a Coffee Filter
The current job market functions like a coffee filter: millions of graduates pour their degrees, resumes, and extra-curriculars into the pot, but only a select few make it through as well-brewed—strong and worthy to qualify for the refined taste of the current job market.
The facts simply prove that. In July 2025, Canada shed 40,800 jobs, with youth unemployment (15-24 year-olds) rates surging to 14.6 per cent, the highest in years. In the US, the gap between the unemployment rate of college graduates and non-degree holders of the same age group was a mere 1 per cent in 2025. Even students with postgraduate degrees aren’t immune. Long term employment for them has also been impacted by the challenge of rising artificial intelligence (AI).
Although the impact of AI can be theoretical, backed by trends in the rising unemployment rates of graduates and the popularity of technological advances during recessions, it is an early sign of what the future may hold for students. Even when companies do not physically replace humans with AI, their investment in the technology continues to deter them from offering opportunities to recent graduates. The uncertainty of the value of university degrees continues to loom over students and it questions whether the future of academics will be present in the plans of the upcoming generation.
So, yes, a university degree might get you into the pot, but don’t be surprised if you end up discarded with the grounds.
Guarantees: a Safety Blanket and Mental Health Support
Aside from the fancy blue logo stamped on our diplomas and beyond the sleepless nights, what do our students actually gain? Well, the University of Toronto does provide something tangible: it offers beautifully designed home decor at the campus bookstores for a source of comfort amidst the stress of job searching. In fact, for just $39.99 (and an additional few grands of tuition costs), you can invest in a poly-cotton safety blanket. It might just serve you with the greatest sense of security, especially after an eight hour shift at your unpaid internship.
But, if a job isn’t guaranteed, then what is? Well, the University of Toronto has an excellent mental health program that supports its students–from mindfulness workshops, to counselling appointments, and even therapy dog sessions. This has all been carefully packaged into an emotional baggage that you can haul to your next job interview and even feature in your post-graduate essay applications. Perhaps a well-written tale of woe may just be the recipe to securing a master’s degree.
The irony is that while universities used to promise mobility, they now ensure resilience. Our degrees may not entirely remove life obstacles, like securing a stable job, but they will offer you the emotional support and endurance to live through it all. It is something you can rely on–a safety blanket, one may say.
The Post-Graduate Clarity
Jokes aside, a degree, regardless of its prestige, is valuable. Especially amidst the rise of anti-intellectualism. A UofT degree does provide its students with a quality education, a space for intellectual and skills growth, and studying at one of the best schools in the world does come with a sense of reliability. The branding of our academic institutes gives you an edge. It may not guarantee employment, but it filters you into the right pot. The rest simply depends on privilege.
But to some, our university sells a curated identity wrapped in emotional turmoil. And while that may sound hyperbolic, it is also a reality for many graduates. In a 2020 report conducted by the Department of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto, more than a third of participants declared they were diagnosed with a mental health issue as a student. Graduates are left with counseling receipts, wellness credits, and a fabricated validation of academics.
Maybe that is the trade-off today. Our diplomas may not be a ticket to security, but it surely is an expensive hope for the future (and you can always grab a $39.99 blanket to support you through it).
