Kerby Anderson

Emily Peck reports that “Americans Don’t Think College is Worth It.” She provides economic facts to show that it still is worth it. She may have trouble convincing many parents, and even students. The share of Americans who say college is “very important” dropped significantly over the past decade.

The most significant drop was among Republicans. In 2013, 68 percent said a college education was very important. This year it dropped to 20 percent. Even among Democrats, the percentages dropped by half.

You might have predicted some of the drop for Republicans because of the criticism that colleges are indoctrinating students in woke ideas. But the drop among Democrats illustrates that there are other reasons for the declining value of college.

Cost is one reason. A college education is very expensive. Student debt is high, and graduates wonder if they will ever make enough money to pay back student loans. In the background is also the fear that AI will shrink the job market for a college graduate.

Other opportunities are another reason. There is growing interest on the part of young adults to work in skilled trades. These can be successful careers and would probably be less threatened by AI than white collar jobs.

Emily Peck argues that a college degree is important and points to the fact that college graduates earn twice what high school graduates make. Of course, it is still possible to become financially successful without a college degree. And I suspect that lumped into the median high school degree income are many who have never developed meaningful skills and are less employable.

Americans are not as convinced as they used to be that college is worth it. Parents and their children need to evaluate what is best for them.