Public Confidence in College Value Reaches Historic Low at 31%

A Gallup survey finds that only 31% of Americans now view college education as very important, marking the lowest percentage since the polling organization began tracking this metric in 1978. The decline represents a dramatic shift from 2013, when 70% of adults considered college very important, with the gap between those viewing it as very important versus not too important narrowing from 64 points to just 2 points. The downward trend spans across major demographic groups, though college graduates, women, Democrats, and people of color still rate college higher than their counterparts.

A decade-long erosion of support for higher education has culminated in historically low confidence levels, according to Gallup's ongoing research spanning nearly five decades. The magnitude of this shift is particularly striking: the proportion of Americans viewing college as very important has plummeted from roughly seven in ten just over a decade ago to fewer than one in three today. Meanwhile, those skeptical of college's value have gained ground substantially, with the two perspectives now separated by only a narrow margin—a dramatic reversal of the wide consensus that once existed.

The decline cuts across demographic boundaries, though important disparities remain. College-educated individuals, women, Democrats, and racial and ethnic minorities continue to value higher education more than other groups, suggesting that attitudes toward college increasingly divide along existing demographic and political lines.