For which of the following individuals would the opportunity cost of going to college be highest? a promising young mathematician who will command a high salary once she earns her college degree a student with average grades who has never held a job a famous, highly-paid actor who wants to take time away from show business to finish college and earn a degree a student who is the best player on his college basketball team, but who lacks the skills necessary to play professional basketball

The opportunity cost is the process of making a valuable choice as compared to those that you did not choose but whilst dealing with the cost of losing the benefits that were associated with the choice that was not picked.

So the opportunity cost is the result of the loss of benefits that one was receiving or was going to receive from the choice which wasn't picked

The actor choosing to go to study so that he can have a degree is a valuable choice but which comes with losing the benefits of working as an actor, earning a salary and all other great benefits which were associated with this job;that is an opportunity cost.