Depends on why you’re going TBH. If you just want to learn things before you die, it’s literally never too late.

If you’re looking for a purely financial payout though, there is a lot of math and it’s going to be hyper specific to your situation. First, you need to consider the total cost of going back. Not just books and tuition but lost income if you’re not working full time as you go to school. If you’re still working during school, don’t forget to factor in the free time that you’re burning and added costs (both social and financial ) to being busy all of the time. Want to fix your car yourself and save a few bucks, hope it can wait until spring break.

Next, you have to compare that to the amount of money you personally would likely make above your current trajectory. Don’t forget to factor in your chances of actually getting that job in your field. I have a friend with an English degree who sells insurance for a company that would absolutely have hired them with an associates or maybe even just a HS diploma. A co-worker of mine has a bachelor’s and makes the exact money as I do with my associates.

I don’t mean to sound down on college. My wife is a college professor and I honestly believe that for most people, a four year degree is a huge benefit in their career and personal life. Personally, I think the fact that we’ve turned the college experience into purely financial decision for most of the coming generations is a scathing indictment of our society. That being said, there are a lot of cases where it doesn’t pay off financially.