Kaili Killpack
4 min read
Entrepreneur and real estate mogul Grant Cardone is no stranger to controversy — and two of his most talked-about opinions continue to stir debate.
Cardone recently posted on Instagram that his two "most hated on" opinions are:
1. Most people should NOT go to college.
2. A house is a TERRIBLE investment.
These bold statements run counter to traditional financial advice, but Cardone says he shares them because he believes in being direct — even if it offends people.
Here's a closer look at the reasoning behind Cardone's controversial takes, along with data to help put his claims in perspective.
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Cardone says spending four to six years earning a college degree — and often going into debt in the process — doesn't make sense when the same information is often available for free. "You could literally open an iPad up and learn," he said in an interview on the "Success Story" podcast.
He clarified that college may be a smart move for some, but "most people should not be spending four, five, six years" on a degree unless they're attending a top-tier school with valuable networking opportunities.
There's some data to support the idea that the return on a college education isn't always immediate. According to the Education Data Initiative, the average ROI for a bachelor's degree starts negative — around minus 4.09% in the first decade — and takes about 11 years in the workforce to break even. The full cost of earning a typical degree, including tuition, room and board, and student loan interest, is estimated at $255,217.
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Still, the long-term earnings potential remains strong for many graduates. A 2025 graduate with a bachelor's degree can expect to earn roughly $7.95 million over a lifetime — significantly more than someone with just a high school diploma or associate degree. Degrees in finance, engineering, and computer sciences tend to yield the highest returns.
Cardone's other unpopular stance? That buying a house is "a terrible investment." Speaking on the "Digital Social Hour" podcast, he argued that homeownership comes with ongoing costs — including property taxes, insurance, and maintenance — without generating income. "It doesn't cash flow," he said. "Even when the loan's paid, you still gotta pay property taxes, still gotta insure it, still gotta maintain it."
