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The poll found that just 33% of respondents believe a four-year degree is worth the investment due to improved job prospects and lifetime earnings, while 63% contend that graduates too often leave campus burdened with substantial debt but lacking specific job skills. This represents a dramatic shift from 2017, when Americans were nearly evenly divided on the question, and from 2013, when 53% viewed degrees as worthwhile investments.
The erosion of confidence spans demographic groups but reveals particularly sharp partisan divisions. Republican support for the value of four-year degrees has fallen precipitously from 55% in 2013 to just 22% in the current survey. Democratic support has also declined, dropping from 61% to 47% over the same period.
Perhaps most telling, less than half of voters who hold college degrees—46%, down from 63% in 2013—now view their own credentials as worth the cost. Among those without degrees, skepticism has deepened significantly, with 71% now questioning the value proposition compared to a roughly even split in 2013.
The shifting attitudes reflect real economic pressures facing students and families. While Bureau of Labor Statistics data continues to show that degree holders earn more and face lower unemployment than those with less education, College Board figures reveal that inflation-adjusted tuition at public four-year institutions has doubled since 1995. Private college costs have increased 75% over the same timeframe.
Several poll respondents pointed to the disconnect between degree costs and post-graduation employment realities.
The findings suggest growing interest in alternative pathways, including technical training, vocational programs, and two-year degrees that promise quicker entry into the workforce.
