Thoughts on the value of a non STEM "Big Brand" bachelors degree as an adult student

[Stoic]

I agree with you about the bachelor's degree being the new High School Diploma. When I had my first "Real" career job in Information Technology,  a degree was nice to have but not required and this was in 2006 at a local college. I was the youngest member on facility and I had zero credentials except I was in the right place at the right time and I seized the opportunity. It would surprise you where soft skills can take you. That would never work in today's market, I would have not have had a snowball's chance in hell.  

From that moment forward the job market has only gotten harder for people without a degree. I live in an underprivileged area where a Masters Degree and 10 years of experience has the average pay of $45,000 a year; I know you are thinking the cost of living (COL) must be cheap and that depends. It used to be until people from big cities started buying all the real estate dirt cheap. Now the cost of property has climbed, and it is hard to find a nice neighborhood.

Bank teller jobs will list no degree required but preferred. Even having a bachelor's degree doesn't guarantee a liveable wage which blows my mind considering the cost of a traditional education.

The only way I see you can distinguish yourself is to build a portfolio and hope you picked the right research to standout and have killer references or you worked for Tesla or Google and use that to springboard to something else. The Masters will help you stand out but then what comes after that?

If my grandmother was alive, she would be 120 years old. I have her 8th grade diploma that she framed. When she attended school completing 8th grade and High School meant something and today it doesn't.

Thank you for your valuable input. It helps to see things from a different perspective. My parents are both the same, they didn't attend college. Though that didn't keep them from having an OK quality of life, but times have changed.