Some UA students rethink college as social media fuels business
University of Arizona students in Tucson are using social media to start businesses, raising questions about the role of college in entrepreneurship.
Paris Lenee Hale / Arizona Sonoran News
With a smartphone, a social media account and a marketable skill, today’s young entrepreneurs are finding they don’t need a college degree to build a business.
As platforms like TikTok and Snapchat turn creators into customers overnight, more students are questioning whether higher education is still the clearest path to career success.
For some, like Azaria Johnson, leaving the classroom has opened the door to opportunity.
Johnson started college in the fall of 2023 as a psychology major. By semester’s end, she dropped out.
“I realized psychology wasn’t where my heart was,” Johnson said. “I wanted to create, connect with people and build something of my own.”
Johnson became fascinated with cosmetology after she began casually braiding her roommate’s hair and doing mini twists for friends.
When she left school, she decided to pursue her newfound passion full time and earned a certificate from Empire Beauty School last spring, going into business for herself.
Stories like Johnson’s highlight a growing trend of young entrepreneurs who no longer need a formal degree to learn how to market a product, build a brand or reach customers. As a result, young people are questioning whether higher education is still essential, or even relevant, to launching a successful career.
Starting a business still requires planning, consistency and creativity. What has changed is the way information is delivered: Step-by-step guidance that once came from professors or textbooks is now available through online creators, business coaches and digital communities.
“You don’t need a classroom to learn how to start a business anymore,” said Robel Abraham, a sophomore business major. “You can open YouTube and watch a 30-minute video that explains everything from finding investors to building a website.”
That shift in access to information has reshaped how some students view the purpose of traditional business education.
“College mostly teaches you how to work under someone else or corporate business, not how to create something of your own,” Abraham said.
He expressed growing frustration with the way business education is taught. While he said he values the structure and security a degree offers, he questions whether it is keeping up with the current pace of entrepreneurship.
Diana Ramos Sacaria
One of the most impactful tools for young business owners is TikTok Shop, an in-app marketplace that lets creators and small businesses sell products directly through their videos. Sellers can create storefronts, tag products in videos and promote their offerings directly through the platform.
Users can also use TikTok’s Showcase feature to highlight popular items and collaborate with creators to expand their reach. The Showcase feature highlights top-selling items and recommended products.
With the right content and strategy, small business owners can go from unknown to sold out with nothing more than a smartphone, a product and a bit of social media savvy.
“Once I started posting my styles on the (University of Arizona) Snapchat page, people I didn’t even know were booking me,” Johnson said. “Social media presence helped me grow my clientele faster than school ever could.”
This ease of access has made entrepreneurship more attainable than ever, but it has not impacted enrollment in college business programs, including the UA’s Eller College of Management.
UA data shows undergraduate enrollment in Eller grew from 5,921 students in 2020 to 8,180 students in 2025.
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
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