Is College Important?

My former colleagues at Gallup have released data that indicates that fewer Americans believe that a “college education” is “very important.” When asked about the importance of a college education in 2013, 70% of Americans thought it was “very important,” but that percentage dropped to only 51% in 2019.

The landscape of higher education has changed a bit from 2013 to 2019, but I would say more has changed in what the public considers a “college education.” More people now see how varied “college” can be. For instance, there is much greater visibility of online education (the good and the not so good) now than in the past. In addition, there has been much greater uncertainty about the impact of college, driven by the lack of transparency from most institutions concerning data that shows impact coupled with the higher levels of debt that in most cases accompanies a college education. And the media has certainly showcased many instances in which students leave college before graduation, ending up with very little to show for besides increased loan balances.

Just asking about a “college education” is too simplistic. It’s like asking if restaurants are good: there are a lot of good ones, a lot of adequate ones, and some truly horrible ones. In some cases a college education can change the life trajectory of a student. That certainly happened to me. In other cases it might seem to have few benefits. And in those cases of students leaving with no degree and high debt, it can be a big step backwards.

The positive side is that we have much more information about options now to be able to make better choices. The negative side is that most of this information lies in the heads of those of us who study higher education, and does not reach those who are facing life changing decisions about if, where, and how to go to college.

Keep an eye on this space for that to change.