Most Americans now seem to believe that getting a college education isn’t worth it, signaling a new low level of confidence in what has long been a hallmark of the “American dream.”
According to a new poll by the Wall Street Journal-NORC, 56% of Americans believe getting a four-year degree is a “risk,” compared to 42% who hold onto a bachelor’s degree.
Skepticism is strongest among 18-34-year-olds, and it is typical that strong doubts arise even among people with higher education.
In 2013, 53% of Americans were optimistic about getting a college education, compared with 40% of those who weren’t. In 2017, 49% of Americans thought a bachelor’s degree would lead to better jobs and higher pay, compared to 47% who thought the opposite.
“These results are really disappointing for all of us in higher education, and in some ways are a wake-up call,” said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, which has more than 1,700 higher education institutions as members.
Dr. Mitchell cited student debt, which has reached $1.7 trillion, and graduate rates (60%) at four-year colleges as the two biggest issues undermining confidence in the sector.
Public skepticism towards higher education began to rise after the 2008 recession and intensified during the pandemic. American college enrollment has fallen by about 15 percent over the past decade, while alternative degrees, including apprenticeship programs, have skyrocketed.
The magazine’s survey showed that discontent spanned all age groups, as well as residents of the city and suburbs. The last categories in which a small majority retained their belief in the value of higher education were Democrats, college-educated individuals, and those earning more than $100,000 a year.
But 42 percent of college-educated people said in the latest poll that it’s not worth it, up more than 10 percentage points from two polls a decade ago.
Women and older Americans are leading the way in declining self-confidence. College-confident people over 65 have fallen to 44 percent, down from 56 percent in 2017. Confidence among women has dropped to 44 percent from 54 percent, the survey showed.
Source: Wall Street Journal
Source: Kathimerini
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