EDITORS' CORNER
Respondents still believe college provides quality education
Nearly three-quarters of voters don’t believe a college degree is worth the cost, according to a recent Fox News poll.
“Twenty years ago, voters were split on whether a degree should be obtained at any cost (46% agree, 49% disagree). Now, three-quarters of voters say a college degree is not worth getting at any cost (27% agree, 73% disagree),” Fox News reported.
Public opinion on college has reversed dramatically since 2006.
Back then, 65 percent said young people should spend their money on college tuition rather than invest it and immediately start working. Now, 65 percent recommend investing the money and entering the workforce directly.
Further, over 60 percent today say college is less important to success than it was a generation ago. And more than half believe higher education prioritizes profit over students.
And the shift in attitudes toward college is consistent across demographics.
“In 2006, majorities of voters under age 30, over 65, college graduates, those without college degrees, Democrats, Republicans, and independents all thought college was worth the money and was important to success. Today, those same groups largely hold the opposite opinion,” Fox News reported.
However, more Republicans than Democrats have lost confidence in higher education.
“Voters in both parties have a beef with higher education, but the grievance is particularly acute among Republicans,” Republican pollster Daron Shaw said.
“They not only think universities are too expensive but also that they have been captured by woke, leftist administrators and professors,” he said.
At the same time, however, 72 percent of respondents said they believe “universities provide a high-quality education,” according to Fox News.
A similar 2025 Overton Insights poll asked respondents if they thought a bachelor’s degree was worth the cost, The College Fix previously reported.
Only 14 percent of poll respondents said it is worth it, while 43 percent said only specific degrees (such as doctors, lawyers, etc.) are worth it. Meanwhile, 38 percent said college is not a good investment.
Yale University’s Committee on Trust in Higher Education recently published a report explaining the significant drop in trust toward higher education and proposing solutions to restore confidence, The Fix reported.
The key reasons for the growing distrust include political polarization on campuses, lack of transparency, high tuition costs, and concerns over academic freedom.
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