BUZZ
Same amount consider college ‘not too important’
A record-low three in ten Americans consider college “very important,” with declines showing across all demographics, according to a new Gallup poll.
This is “four percentage points below last year’s reading, the previous low among the seven times Gallup has asked this question since 1978,” according to the public opinion polling group.
Further, only six percent of respondents in 2013 considered a degree “not too important.” That figure has surged to 29 percent.
At the same time, those viewing a degree as “fairly important” jumped from 23 percent to 39 percent over the same period.
This decline of trust in higher education can be seen across demographics.
“In 2019, majorities of women, middle-aged and older adults, Democrats, Black and Hispanic adults, and college graduates said college was very important. Although most of these groups remain more likely than their counterparts to hold this view, each has registered a double-digit decline,” Gallup reported.
The polling group pointed to the rising cost of a college degree as one explanation for increasing concerns.
A July Gallup and Lumina Foundation poll found that a mere 12 percent of American adults believe a four-year college degree is affordable.
“Just 12% of U.S. adults say four-year colleges and universities are doing an excellent (4%) or good job (8%) providing an affordable education, while nearly two-thirds (63%) say they are doing a poor job,” Gallup reported.
However, 53 percent of respondents said that colleges are “good” or “excellent” at finding new discoveries or advancing knowledge, and 50 percent believe they provide a quality education.
When combining tuition, fees, room and board, books, transportation and other expenses, the cost to attend 16 colleges and universities across the nation tops $100,000 per year, The College Fix previously reported.
However, according to a study by a Wellesley College economist, the “net price” of attending college is declining across the country.
Phillip Levine conducted a study for the Brookings Institution, finding that while the “sticker price” of college is following the trends of inflation, so are endowments and financial aid, resulting in the decline of net prices.
But affordability may not be the only factor at play.
Earlier this year, Yale University’s Committee on Trust in Higher Education published a report explaining the significant drop in trust toward higher education.
In addition to cost, the committee pointed to political polarization on campuses, lack of transparency, and concerns over academic freedom.
