Posted on 03/31/2023 9:30:39 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
A majority of Americans now believe that the cost of a college degree is not justified, marking a shocking decline in support towards a traditional aspect of the American dream.
According to a recent poll by the Wall Street Journal and NORC, a nonpartisan research organization at the University of Chicago, 56 percent of Americans consider pursuing a four-year college degree to be a risky investment, while 42 percent still believe in the value of such a qualification.
Skepticism is highest among those aged 18 to 13, while those with college degrees have similarly experienced a significant decline in their confidence, indicating a troubling future for higher education.
In 2013, 53 percent of Americans were optimistic about the value of college education, while 40 percent were not. By 2017, only 49 percent of Americans believed that obtaining a four-year degree would result in better job prospects and higher income, compared to 47 percent who held the opposite view.
“These findings are indeed sobering for all of us in higher education, and in some ways, a wake-up call,” said Ted Mitchell, the president of the American Council on Education. “We need to do a better job at storytelling, but we need to improve our practice, that seems to me to be the only recipe I know of regaining public confidence.”
The public’s view of the value of higher education has been in decline since the 2008 financial crisis, a trend that has been further exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, there has been a 15 percent drop in college enrollment in the U.S. over the last 10 years, while alternative forms of credentials, such as apprenticeships, have experienced a significant surge in popularity.
In 2017, skepticism towards the value of a college degree was most pronounced among men, Republicans, and those residing in rural areas. This skepticism was followed by a widening gender disparity in higher education, as hundreds of thousands of men withdrew from college during the pandemic.
The poll found that discontent with the value of a college degree is now widespread, affecting individuals across all age groups, including residents of both cities and suburbs. However, there are still certain demographics that retain faith in a degree, primarily Democrats, individuals with a college degree, and those earning more than $100,000 per year.
Surprisingly, more than 42 percent of people with college degrees now believe it is not worth the investment, indicating a significant shift in opinion compared to previous polls conducted over the last decade.
The decline in confidence is being driven by women and older Americans. The survey shows that individuals over the age of 65 who believe in the value of a college degree dropped from 56 percent in 2017 to 44 percent in the most recent poll. Similarly, the proportion of women who believe in the worth of a college degree fell from 54 percent to 44 percent.
The shock poll comes at a time when the cost of attending America’s top colleges is reaching astronomical prices. All eight universities comprising the Ivy League, namely Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale, are currently charging annual fees ranging from $76,000 to almost $90,000 for tuition, accommodation, and administrative fees.
Higher education is what you make of it. A smart man always tries to achieve it.
Doesn’t mean college is the only route.
Do the math.
Depends on what one studies
Always do the first two years at the local two college….less expensive plus you’ll find out if college is for you
Not everyone needs to go to college but you may need to go to trade school to get some skills (that includes cosmetology)
Gee, you think maybe instead it might be this?:
The shock poll comes at a time when the cost of attending America’s top colleges is reaching astronomical prices. All eight universities comprising the Ivy League, namely Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale, are currently charging annual fees ranging from $76,000 to almost $90,000 for tuition, accommodation, and administrative fees.
Force colleges and universities to price their product according to what prospective students can afford to pay out of their own pockets, and tuition will plummet.
Now the military is just another woke endeavor, with recruits being sent to useless wars, and also being guinea pigs for whatever chemical compound the government is pushing in the name of a "vaccine".
College can be appropriate with the right degree or for someone who is mature enough to not spend 6+ years accruing debt and being unable to perform in the real working world.
College is the school of liberal endoctrination!!!!! Go to TRADE SCHOOL and get a job!!
It isn’t worth it for most. And not worth it for anyone at many institutions for which your attendance will make you more stupid than if you had never had any formal education in your life.
Become a plumber or electrician and make way more money than 90% of college degrees
My blond blue-eyed absolutely-Caucasian daughter, a HS junior took the PSAT last year. As a lark, she checked every race and ethnicity box when registering for the exam.
She did very well, but not 99-100 percentile, top notch.
Our mailbox has been filled with “please apply letters” from Harvard, Yale, Columbia, UPenn, Berkeley, etc.
Funny and infuriating. All of those places will admit her if she were actually black. Half would if she were Hispanic. None will when she submits a serious application as a white woman.
“Do the math.”
The problem is that kids can’t do the math after High School.
>> [Ivy] are currently charging annual fees ranging from $76,000 to almost $90,000
Notwithstanding the Rat infestation problem, those numbers aren’t shocking for serious undergrads. And the non-obvious factors include grants for exceptional students where the remainder are helping to float the boat.
Decent in-state should be in the $25k range. Community colleges even lower.
The pursuit of higher education must not be marginalized.
Community College is the way to go—special focus trade schools and experience.
>> All of those places will admit her if she were actually black
Not necessarily just because she’s a “minority”. I suspect the ceremony concerning underserved admissions is hyped for the usual reasons of vanity.
Guessing your daughter’s freshman year is 2024/2025 given the recent PSATs?
Make it a point to separate the political noise from the educational/reputational potential. And know that your daughter is better equipped to navigate the BS than we’re willing to suffer.
The only tax I ever voted for was to bring back trade classes to my local junior high and high school... My daughter is taking Ag mechanics (mostly wood shop but with some basic sprinkler plumbing, electrical and welding)
But she in enrolling into the Ag Mechanics Pathway in high school where she has to do summer school for 4 years and her classes are 1 semester each and she will finish HS with an AA degree in Ag Mechanics thru the local Community College...
+1. Excellent career path. Lots of flexibility.
90 Grand per year? Boy did I get a deal ... sent three sons to Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech for about 200G total. Of course they pitched in a bit some buying their own books, etc. All are now married, working in their selected career paths making more than I, and are popping out g-kids - 6 so far.
It can be done correctly with planning and G-d’s help.
Looking into the future, it’s probably wise to stay away from any career path that can be performed by AI. Many trades are safe. Things that require skilled hands will likely be in demand over skilled minds. The AI will eventually take over finance, medical diagnosis, and a host of other things. AI will not build city drainage, build buildings amd houses, produce energy, etc.
Sales is where the big money is if you’re good.
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