Americans increasingly question the importance of a college degree
Published by The National News Desk
… Craig Goebel, a principal at higher-education consultancy firm Art & Science Group, also cited heated political rhetoric as a factor in eroding support for colleges.
Goebel said the “shift in the political winds” – the federal pressure on elite colleges and their research programs – has influenced how people view colleges as a whole.
“And I think the emphasis on highly selective elite institutions also creates a challenge in its own right, because the majority of the American public doesn't relate very well to those institutions,” Goebel said. “And they, of course, don't serve that many students. Most college students are in regional public and community colleges. So, there's a disconnect that's being created there.”
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And Goebel’s firm has found both high school seniors and parents of recent college graduates value what colleges provide.
“College is overwhelmingly seen as being worth it for those who are directly engaged,” Goebel said. “The challenge, I think, is those who are not directly engaged.”
He said the new Gallup report should be a “call to action” for all colleges and universities to expand their focus beyond just current and prospective students and refine their messages to win over the wider American public.
Goebel said colleges are vital economic engines in their communities. And he said they equip students with enduring and transferable skills, such as creative thinking and critical reasoning.
“When you consider the technological challenges that AI brings to our economy and to our world, I think college and what college provides graduates will be even more important, not less important, in the future,” Goebel said.
But Goebel said the technological changes might actually be having the opposite effect – causing people to question the value of a college education over going straight into the workforce.
And Laats and Goebel also pointed to the cost of higher education as a key factor turning off the American public.
But both said the actual costs of going to college aren’t accurately reflected in the high “sticker price.”
Due to deeply discounted tuition and fees, families are not actually paying more to attend college than they used to, Laats said.
Goebel said higher education’s “high price, high-aid model” is difficult enough for families and students who are seriously considering college to understand, let alone the general public.
At the same time that Americans are growing sour on colleges, a severe need for more workers is emerging in the skilled trades.