Archive · 22 Aug 2026
Sam Altman Says College Is Too Long but Worthwhile
Sam Altman thinks college can be useful, but four years may not be right for everyone.
He left Stanford after two years to start a company called Loopt.
He said staying longer would not have helped him much.
He still valued meeting people, living independently and working on projects in college.
Altman noted that some successful people never attend college.
He also said AI tools make it easier to build a startup with fewer resources.
Young people should spend less time trying to look important and more time making things.
It is fine to try several projects at first, but people should focus on one when they find the best fit.
Sam Altman said four years of college may be too long for some students, although he still considers college valuable.
Altman left Stanford after two years in 2005 to co-found Loopt, saying additional time would have brought diminishing returns.
He said college helped him meet people, live independently and work on projects.
Altman advised young founders to focus less on appearing credible and more on doing practical work, including with AI tools.
He said exploring multiple projects can make sense early on, but founders should commit fully after choosing their strongest opportunity.
- Who
- Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, discussed college, entrepreneurship and project management.
- What
- Altman argued that four-year college may be too long for some people while offering advice to young founders and interns.
- When
- Altman left Stanford in 2005; the article does not specify when his comments were made.
- Where
- The discussion concerned Stanford and Altman’s experience in college and entrepreneurship.
- Why
- Altman said rapid global change and diminishing returns can make the traditional college timeline unsuitable for some students.
Shorter or alternative education
Traditional college experience
Length and value of college
Shorter or alternative education
Altman said four years may be too long for some students because the world is changing quickly and additional years can bring diminishing returns.
Traditional college experience
Altman still said college was valuable for meeting people, living independently and working on projects.
College and career success
Shorter or alternative education
Altman noted that many people build successful careers without attending college and encouraged young people to focus on doing things rather than appearing credible.
Traditional college experience
His own comments acknowledged that college can provide experiences and relationships that are useful even when a student later leaves early.
- Speaker
- Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
- College attended
- Stanford
- Time before leaving college
- Two years
- Year Altman left Stanford
- 2005
- Company co-founded
- Loopt, a location-sharing app
- College benefits cited
- Meeting people, living independently and working on projects
- Startup advice
- Try projects early, then commit fully to the strongest opportunity