Harry Enten: Americans' Declining View on College Degree Importance

Declining Importance of College Degrees

• 📉 A significant drop in Americans believing a college degree is very important has occurred, falling from 75% in 2010 to 35% currently.
• 📊 This current figure of 35% is the lowest percentage of Americans who view a college degree as very important that Gallup has ever measured, mirroring numbers from the late 1970s.
• ⚠️ The perception has shifted from college being an aspirational goal to something more commonplace, as the percentage of Americans with a degree has risen substantially since 1978.

Partisan Divide on Education Value

• 👥 The decline in the perceived importance of a college degree is universal across both Democrats and Republicans.
• 📊 For Democrats, the belief that a college degree is very important has fallen from 83% in 2013 to 42% currently.
• 📊 Among Republicans, the drop is similarly severe, decreasing from 68% to 20% over the same period.
• 📈 This indicates a widespread, across-the-board decrease in the perceived value of a college education, regardless of political affiliation.