The public’s skepticism about the value of a college degree is not shared by most of the students who have earned or are working on those diplomas, a new study finds.
Americans who have low confidence in higher education cite the cost, insufficient career prep and politicization on campus, according to “The College Reality Check: What Students Experience vs. What America Believes” report by Lumina Foundation and Gallup.
However, large majorities of students believe that their degrees will lead to jobs, that they can express themselves freely on campus and that faculty support diverse viewpoints.
Most students say their investment in higher ed is worthwhile despite rising—”even unfair”—tuition costs, the report says. More than half of the students surveyed contend that four-year universities do not charge fair prices, while 25% say the same of two-year colleges.
The report also tracks the public’s declining positivity over the last decade, along with a more recent rebound. In 2015, 57% of Americans had faith in higher education, compared to just over a third in 2024. But last year, more than four in 10 expressed confidence.
Here are five key figures from the survey:
- Between 64% and 74% of Democratic, Republican and independent students say all or most of their professors encourage students to share their views.
- Just 2% of all college students, including 3% of Republicans, feel they don’t belong on their campus due to their political views.
- Roughly nine in 10 college students are confident that their coursework is teaching them career-relevant skills and that their degree will help them find a job.
- About nine in 10 bachelor’s (93%) and associate degree students (89%) believe that the investment they are making in college is worth it, and about three-quarters of students and college graduates agree that their degree is or has been worth the cost.
- Three-quarters of college graduates say their degree has been “critical” or “important” to their career success, and most recent bachelor’s (80%) and associate degree (62%) graduates secured a good job within one year of graduation.
Challenges to college value
The report warned that, despite students’ overall optimism, cost remains a barrier to some student seeking the benefits of a degree and that the small groups who lack a sense of campus belonging are at risk of dropping out.
The researchers also pointed out that one in five graduates does not land a good job within a year of graduation.
“These deeply personal, negative experiences may carry outsized influence in conversations these graduates have with friends, family and colleagues about the benefits of college—even if they do not represent the most likely outcome,” the report concludes.
“Colleges and universities can strengthen public confidence by clearly communicating graduates’ success stories while continuing to address student concerns about free expression, belonging and the value of their educational investment.”
Gallup and Lumina also released a more in-depth report on the “career value” of college degrees.
Federal policy: Department of Education offloads more programs to federal agencies
