Survey: One-Third of Americans Say College Is Worth the Cost

""worth the cost because people often graduate without specific job skills and with a large amount of debt to pay off,""

""It's just remarkable to see attitudes on any issue shift this dramatically ... Americans used to view a college degree as aspirational-it provided an opportunity for a better life. And now that promise is really in doubt,""

""You go to school with all that student debt-the jobs you get out of college don't pay that debt, so you have to go find something else that can pay that debt,""

A recent survey of about 1,000 registered voters (Oct. 24–28, margin of error ±3.1 points) found roughly one-third view a four-year college degree as worth the cost, while two-thirds do not, often citing graduates lacking job-specific skills and large debt burdens. Opinion has shifted since a similar 2013 survey when a majority viewed college as worth the cost. Responses are sharply divided by party and education: about 22 percent of Republicans versus 47 percent of Democrats now see value, and 46 percent of degree holders versus 71 percent of non-degree respondents call it not worth the money. Individual accounts emphasize student debt outweighing job pay.

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