Mostโ Americans Now Doubt the Value of a Four-Year College Degree, New Data Shows
A growing majority of Americans noโฃ longer believe a four-yearโข college degree isโข worth the cost, according to a new NBC News poll conductedโ in late October 2025. Just 34% of adults say a bachelor’s degree is a good investment, markingโค a notable decline from 41% in 2017. The shift in perception comes as tuition costs continue to rise and questions mount about the relevance of higher education โin โa rapidly changing job market.
The decline in confidence โฃis particularly stark among Republican voters. The NBC survey foundโ that 55% โฃofโฃ Republicans saw โcollege as worthwhile in 2013,โ compared with โขjustโฃ 22% today – a 33% decline. Support among Democrats, meanwhile, dropped โ14%. This โขdivergence coincides with a shift in the political makeup ofโค both parties, with Democrats gainingโ support among voters withโค degrees and Republicans making inroads among โthose withoutโฃ them.
Researchers โขat Gallup and the Lumina Foundation found that 38% of Americans whoโ lack confidence inโ higher education cite politics, with another 32% saying โcollege doesn’t teach the right things. Concerns thatโ collegesโข andโข universities areโข partisan are likely contributing to the declining support among Republican voters, according to a Gallup analysis.
The poll data underscores a broader national conversation about the returnโ on investment for higher education, as student loan โคdebt reaches record levels and alternative pathways to employment – โsuchโค asโฃ vocational training and apprenticeships – gain traction.