Less than a decade ago, more than half of Americans said they had great confidence in their higher education system. Now, that number is nearly a third of hers. What happened?
Costs are rising, and more Americans are asking, “Is it worth the money?” For many people, the answer is no.
Why I wrote this
a story focused on
Confidence in the power of a university education is declining for one reason. That's too expensive. One solution is to reduce costs. But Cataldo Maria shows us another way.
Yes, data shows that, on average, going to college helps. But “this doesn't mean it's a good deal for everyone, or that any college is a good deal, or that any degree from any university is a good deal,” said Jeff Denning of the University of Notre Dame. says.
The key is finding the right person in terms of career potential, university, and cost. And for some, that means no college at all. Maria Cataldo dropped out of college to attend welding school and is looking at a secure future with a six-figure salary.
he says: “I didn’t think it was worth spending four years to make money now.”
Two years ago, as a high school senior, Cataldo Maria made a choice that would shape the beginning of her adult life. He dropped out of college and attended welding school.
“I never felt any pressure to go to college,” he says of his parents. “They definitely say I'm the most cost-effective person,” Maria added with a laugh, recalling her sister's expensive college trip.
For Maria, the sticker price is too high and there is no guarantee of future work. His 50-year-old uncle attended college and studied abroad. He is still repaying his loan. Maria once quit a vocational school without having any qualifications. He feels he has gained enough work experience up until the halfway point and has no regrets.
Why I wrote this
a story focused on
Confidence in the power of a university education is declining for one reason. That's too expensive. One solution is to reduce costs. But Cataldo Maria shows us another way.
“I didn't think it was worth doing it for four years when I could make money now,” he says.
Maria's recognition is becoming increasingly common in the United States. According to a recent Gallup poll, from 2015 to 2023, the percentage of Americans who expressed great confidence in the higher education system fell from 57% to 36%. This decline is seen across all age groups and demographics, but is steepest among Republicans.
Academically, the American higher education system is consistently rated among the best, if not the best. However, research shows that about 40% of students drop out within their six years, and those students are more likely to default on their student loans.
Malia captures a growing crisis of trust in American higher education. With rising costs, is it worth the money? The answer is no, although the number continues to grow.
Decades ago, college was more affordable and primarily funded by the government. “Students and their families now bear much of the burden, and that fact has turned a very simple calculation about the economic value of college into a complex math problem,” says The Inequality Machine. Paul Tough, author of “How'' writes: “College Divides Us” New York Times Magazine.
Tough went to the conference to review one of his books, where experts said higher education in the United States gives people opportunities for economic mobility and supports low-income families. “But when I talk to individual families, they're often feeling more stressed,” he said during a Brookings Institution panel discussion. “They were often very concerned about the cost of college and whether it would be affordable for them and their families.”
Finding the right fit is important
Not all studies are negative. Importantly, college graduates can earn significantly more over their lifetimes than those without a degree.
“On average, going to college seems like a good idea, but many of the 'average' clauses do a lot of heavy lifting,” said Jeff Denning, an economist at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. “I'm working on it,” he says. “This doesn't mean it's a good deal for everyone, or that any college is a good deal, or that any degree from any university is a good deal.”
It matters what a student majors in and what school they attend. The U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and Net Price Calculator can help families calculate costs, graduation rates, financial aid, and median incomes for schools receiving federal aid, Dr. Denning points out.
“Imagine you are a school teacher,” he says. Attending a state school with in-state tuition makes more sense than attending an expensive, selective private school. That's because many graduates in that profession earn $40,000 a year in either case.
But for Kyla Ross, college means more than just a degree. “College was an easy escape,” says the first-generation college student from West Philadelphia.
“Going to college was not only the wisest decision, but it was also the safest for me, because I know kids who just stay home and get into trouble,” Ross said. says. What is that bad thing like? “Street stuff. In the first trimester, I was just staying at home and starting to get involved.”
She received a tuition scholarship to attend Benedictine University in Columbia, South Carolina. This university was one of 13 schools that accepted her. She accepted, and after taking out a $10,000 loan for her first two years of room and board, she now serves as a resident assistant in a dormitory where she can stay for free. She completed her first internship with the Defense Logistics Agency last summer and continues to work there during her academic year.
Ross, who is majoring in cybersecurity, wants to become an engineer. At Benedictine College, she is president of the golf club and serves on the board of the school's chapter of the National Association of Black Engineers.
“I built a family I never would have known existed,” she says.
Different situations, different solutions
American higher education worked out well for Ross. The question is how do you find the right fit for more people?
“We are fixing a broken system,” U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said at the Monitor Breakfast last fall. “Gen Z going to college is probably going to end up with $150,000 in debt and accumulating interest on a $40,000-a-year job. That doesn't make sense. That's the system we're trying to change. is.”
To do that, Cardona says, higher education needs to be made more affordable. For example, students should be better informed about schools that provide quality education at an affordable price. Additionally, high schools need to start creating pathways to two-year programs and certificate programs that teach marketable skills and promise careers that pay decently. Certificates also prepare people to attend school in the future.
Maria's starting salary was $15 an hour. Currently, he makes $19 an hour, and after his next raise, he will make more than $20 an hour. That's enough to cover half of the $1,300 rent for the two-bedroom apartment he shares with a friend. He drives his 2002 Honda Civic.
The only way he will think about getting a degree is if the company requires him to get a degree to become a project manager.
His plans are to start his own welding business in a few years or work for one of the unions. Alternatively, he can become a certified welding inspector. One job-hunting day, he met an inspector who told him that he had a six-figure score even though he didn't have a degree.
Meanwhile, his sister is graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in communications. If she doesn't get into graduate school, she might return to her home. She may also have to use some of the $20,000 her parents, both college-educated architects, saved to send her older brother to college.
“She's starting to run out of money, so she's asking me if she can borrow my money,” Maria said. “I'm like, 'Well, I'm not going to use it.'”