Gonzo 247 / University of St. Thomas Houston
Even as public distrust in higher education dominates the headlines amid campus protests, rising tuition costs, and growing anti-DEI sentiment, most Americans still don't value a college degree. It seems that you are discovering. According to a survey of 1,500 U.S. voters conducted by Global Strategy Group and GS Strategy Group for Third Way, 80% of respondents believe higher education is worth it, including 88% of Democrats and 75% of Republicans. I still believe there is.
This finding is in sharp contrast to recent reports of declining confidence in higher education. Among them is a Gallup poll released in 2023 showing that the percentage of Americans who feel they have high confidence in higher education has dropped significantly from the previous year, reaching a “historic low.” Also included. It also stands in sharp contrast to the public attitude of many Republican politicians, who have antagonized higher education leaders in Congressional hearings and in the press in recent months.
But Sophie Nguyen, a senior policy analyst at the left-leaning think tank New America who focuses on public opinion on higher education, believes that believing in the value of a college degree and having confidence in higher education institutions He pointed out that having one is a different, if related, thing. -idea. In fact, only 56 percent of U.S. voters have a favorable view of the U.S. higher education system as a whole, according to the Third Way report. By comparison, 77% had a favorable view of vocational schools, 75% had a favorable view of community colleges, and 65% had a favorable view of four-year colleges, compared to 37% who had a favorable view of four-year colleges. % have a favorable view of for-profit universities.
“I'm not saying these numbers negate the Gallup numbers. I think they show different sides of the story in American perspectives in higher education,” she said. Told. “Despite their dissatisfaction with higher education, a high proportion still think a college degree is valuable or still believe in the value a college degree brings to themselves and society. That's not true.”
The survey also examines whether people think higher education provides value primarily by leading students to successful careers or by creating an informed population. The purpose was also to evaluate. When asked to choose which outcome most aligned with their beliefs, a slight majority of respondents, 57 percent, chose career outcomes, while in a separate question, 49 percent of respondents , said they believe the true value of a university is a combination of: That she has two options. The difference between Democrats (53%) and Republicans (63%) who chose career outcomes was 10 points.
return on investment
While many Americans still think higher education is valuable, Ben Cecil, senior education policy advisor at Third Way, believes we are at a tipping point and that universities, policymakers and , said advocates must make changes to maintain that recognition or risk losing it. that.
Respondents expressed concern about the cost of college, with four in five voters noting that the price of higher education is rising. They also said they want institutions to be held accountable for student outcomes. For example, 70% of respondents said they believe programs should require graduates to prove they can repay student loans in order to receive federal financial aid.
“From a transparency standpoint, voters want to know upfront what they're investing in and accountability if the investment isn't being made,” Cecil said.
Jody Adams Kirshner, a research professor at New York University who studies the barriers low-income and minority students face in accessing higher education, said she supports the idea of greater transparency, but that He emphasized that data must be presented in a way that students can easily understand. It will help you analyze and decide where and what you want to study.
“It makes sense that we would need more data…on outcomes. The difficulty is that the American higher education system is already so complex that even when it comes to what the final price will be, navigating “I think there's a lot of information out there that's difficult to understand,” she said.
Advocates of postsecondary education may face a timeline when making their case. Although today's voters value higher education, a majority of survey respondents (65%) predict that high school students will become less interested in pursuing higher education over the next 10 years.
“To me, this is a wake-up call for institutional leaders and higher education advocates,” Cecil said.
Kirshner said he would like to learn more about how survey respondents define certain terms, such as “value” and “return on investment” (ROI). For example, do you think college will generate a good ROI for her over five years after graduation or throughout her lifetime?
He said such distinctions can be an important consideration for low-income households, who are reluctant to pay for something that has a big payoff 10 years from now, no matter how good the payoff is. He said they often do not have the financial flexibility to invest.
“For people who have immediate and urgent needs, this is very appealing. [to get] “For an 18-year-old, it seems like a high-paying job in a warehouse, about $17 an hour, but over time it doesn't get that high,” she said.