“Americans have grown sour on one of the longtime key ingredients of the American dream,” said a recent NBC News article. “Almost two-thirds of registered voters say that a four-year college degree isn’t worth the cost, according to a new NBC News poll, a dramatic decline over the last decade. Just 33% agree a four-year college degree is ‘worth the cost because people have a better chance to get a good job and earn more money over their lifetime,’ while 63% agree more with the concept that it’s ‘not worth the cost because people often graduate without specific job skills and with a large amount of debt to pay off.’”
The poll is based on interviews with roughly 1,000 registered voters, — 70% via cell phones and 30% via text. 48% of the interview subjects were male, 52% female. 25% were high school graduates, 34% had some college or vocational training beyond high school, 21% had college degrees, and 17% had graduate or professional degrees. About 30% were between 18 and 39 years old, 35% between 40 and 59, 25% between 60 and 74, and 10% over 75 years old.
In 2013, 53% of adults surveyed said that a college degree was worth the costs compared to the 33% that said so in 2025. “The eye-popping shift over the last 12 years comes against the backdrop of several major trends shaping the job market and the education world, from exploding college tuition prices to rapid changes in the modern economy — which seems once again poised for radical transformation alongside advances in AI.”
As has been true for years, data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has continuously showed that those with advanced degrees earn more and have lower unemployment rates than those with lower levels of education. (more…)