College & Workforce Readiness News in Brief

People Putting Less Faith in Four-Year Degrees, Poll Finds

By Catherine Gewertz — September 12, 2017 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Americans are increasingly doubting the value of a four-year college degree, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.

The poll still tilts in favor of the bachelor’s degree, but by the slimmest of margins: Only 49 percent of the 1,200 adults surveyed think that a four-year degree is worth the cost because it will lead to good jobs and higher lifetime earnings. Forty-seven percent doubt it will.

Skepticism about college degrees is particularly high among men, young adults, and people who live in rural parts of the country, according to the Wall Street Journal. Majorities of those groups doubt that a bachelor’s degree is worth the cost.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the September 13, 2017 edition of Education Week as People Putting Less Faith In Four-Year Degrees, Poll Finds

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Managing AI in Schools: Practical Strategies for Districts
How should districts govern AI in schools? Learn practical strategies for policies, safety, transparency, and responsible adoption.
Content provided by Lightspeed Systems
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Absenteeism Webinar
Turning Attendance Data Into Family Action
This California district cut chronic absenteeism in half. Learn how they used insight and early action to reach families and change outcomes.
Content provided by SchoolStatus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
Climb: A New Framework for Career Readiness in the Age of AI
Discover practical strategies to redefine career readiness in K–12 and move beyond credentials to develop true capability and character.
Content provided by Pearson

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

College & Workforce Readiness From Our Research Center What Are the Most Popular CTE Classes and Why? We Asked Educators
Students are very attracted to classes that offer meaningful hands-on learning.
1 min read
Students in the health sciences track of Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program practice taking blood pressure on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark.
Students in the health sciences track of Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program practice taking blood pressure on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program—which integrates lessons about AI into its curriculum—offers career-pathway training for high school juniors and seniors in the district.
Wesley Hitt for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness From Our Research Center Can School Counselors Support the Push Toward More Career Pathways?
More districts are emphasizing career readiness, but are counselors keeping up with the shift?
3 min read
Students in Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program work on projects during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program offer career-pathway training for juniors and seniors in the district.
Students in Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program, which offers career-pathway training, work on projects during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. As career and technical education evolves, new survey findings suggest many school counselors are still more focused on college.
Wesley Hitt for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Q&A How One Educator Is Prepping Students for the Ultimate Test: The Job Interview
Helping students learn how to perform well in job interviews is a critical skill schools can teach.
3 min read
Businesswoman and businessman HR manager interviewing woman. Candidate female sitting her back to camera, focus on her, close up rear view, interviewers on background. Human resources, hiring concept
iStock/Getty
College & Workforce Readiness How Schools' CTE Offerings Are Going High Tech
The use of new technologies is expanding across CTE programs.
1 min read
Students in Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program work on projects during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program offer career-pathway training for juniors and seniors in the district.
Students in Bentonville public schools’ Ignite program work on projects during class on Nov. 5, 2025, in Bentonville, Ark. The program offers career-pathway training for juniors and seniors in the district.
Wesley Hitt for Education Week