- National poll finds most Americans don't believe a college degree is worth the cost.
- Utahns, meanwhile, continue to enroll — and graduate — from college in record numbers.
- Westminster University President Beth Dobkin champions the long-term benefits of a college education.
A national poll echoes other recent education-related surveys: A majority of Americans no longer feel pursuing a college degree is worthwhile.
Almost two-thirds of registered voters say that a four-year college degree doesn’t justify the cost, according to an NBC News report.
But such sentiments regarding higher education in 2025 appear to run counter in Utah, where residents are claiming higher education awards in historic numbers.
According to the NBC News report, just 33% of Americans agree seeking a bachelor’s degree is “worth the cost because people have a better chance to get a good job and earn more money over their lifetime” — while 63% agree more with the concept that it’s “not worth the cost because people often graduate without specific job skills and with a large amount of debt to pay off.”
That’s a stark difference from just over a decade ago, when similar surveys revealed most Americans believed a college degree was worth the cost.
The report goes on to identify several trends likely impacting national opinions about college studies — including rising tuition costs and labor market disruptions such as the emergence of artificial intelligence.
Citing the Education Data Collective, USA Today reported that the cost of one year of college at a private four-year institution jumped from an average of $26,580 for the 2010 academic year to $38,420 for the 2022 academic year, a roughly 45% increase.
The decline over the past several years among those who say a degree is worth it — from 53% in 2013 to 33% now — is reflected across virtually every demographic group. But the shift in sentiment is especially striking among Republicans, according to the NBC News report.
In 2013, 55% of Republicans called a college degree worth it, while 38% said it wasn’t worth it. In the new poll, just 22% of Republicans say the four-year degree is worth it, while 74% say it’s not.
“It’s just remarkable to see attitudes on any issue shift this dramatically, and particularly on a central tenet of the American dream, which is a college degree. Americans used to view a college degree as aspirational — it provided an opportunity for a better life. And now that promise is really in doubt,” said Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research Associates, who conducted the poll along with the Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies.
Gad Levanon, chief economist at the Burning Glass Institute, a think tank focused on the future of work, argues that the high cost of college has begun to close the gap.
Although college graduates are still more likely to earn a higher income, Levanon told USA Today, the “college wage premium is shrinking.”
The rise of AI “should be a pretty big concern” for college graduates, Levanon said. But he warned that the rise in automation probably will affect trade workers in the future, too.
Why are Utahns continuing to seek higher education in historic numbers?
Red state Utah is something of an outlier regarding opinions on the value of higher education.
In October, the Utah System of Higher Education announced “record-breaking completions” of degrees and certificates in the state’s public colleges and universities for the 2025 academic year.
Utah’s public colleges and universities awarded 61,265 graduates with 71,262 certificates and degrees — a 26% increase in awards and a 22% increase in graduates since 2021.
“The true value of higher education is most clearly demonstrated when students graduate from their programs prepared to contribute to Utah’s economy and our communities,” said Geoffrey Landward, Utah commissioner of higher education, in the USHE report.
Added Utah Board of Higher Education Chair Amanda Covington: “The historic number of graduates this year underscores our institutions’ dedication to provide accessible, high-quality education that prepares Utahns for success.”
Recent USHE data also revealed enrollment across the state’s public higher education institutions rose again — with fall 2025 enrollment reaching over 216,000 students across the state’s eight public degree-granting institutions.
Enrollment is also up this year at Brigham Young University — a private institution sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is widely regarded as one of the nation’s best value colleges.
Perhaps “accessible” is the operative word at a moment when tuition is spiking in many parts of the country.
A study from WalletHub last month found that Utahns spend the lowest share of their median annual household income on higher education. Utahns pursuing higher education in the state spend about 27% of the state’s median annual household income on college costs, according to the study.
Claiming a college degree in Utah, according to the Gardner report, is a demonstrable method for earning more cash, enjoying stable employment and social mobility — and garnering several other positive individual and societal benefits.
Utah boasts the country’s third most well-trained and educated workforce.
Just over 61% of Utahns have attained some form of postsecondary education — including a degree or some form of certification or certificate. That’s well above the national average of approximately 54%, noted the Gardner report.
A Utah university president: Beware ‘trendy headlines’ regarding tuition costs
Responding to the NBC News poll report, Utah’s Westminster University President Beth Dobkin acknowledges that college is an investment demanding careful consideration.
“Sadly, though, trendy headlines about high tuition prices influence survey responses and hide the real data: college net tuition, or what students actually pay, has been falling over the past several years for most students,” said Dobkin in a statement to the Deseret News.
Published tuition prices, which often drive public perception, don’t take financial aid into account, she added.
“For instance, at (private) Westminster University, the average first-year student is paying $8,404 in net tuition costs,” said Dobkin.
“This cost is still prohibitive for some students, so our Westminster Commitment takes affordability a step further, providing four years of tuition — fully paid — for qualified Utah students with a 3.3 high school GPA and family income below $75,000 per year.”
Meanwhile, claiming a college degree remains linked to one’s earning potential, Dobkin added, citing a National Center for Education Statistics report from last year that found median earnings of those with a bachelor’s degree were 59% higher than the earnings of those who completed high school.
“That earnings gap increases over time.”
Dobkin also emphasized that a college degree’s value stretches beyond a first job or earnings premium. She echoed Gardner research concluding that people with college degrees report being happier, healthier and more confident.
“Rather than solely judging the monetary return of a career path, we should celebrate the success and happiness of all students who continue to find value in their investment,” she said.
Dobkin concluded by saying that almost all Westminster graduates report that their degree helped them pursue their professional goals — with 90% finding a job within three months of graduation.
“Those jobs will continue to change throughout a graduate’s life. College degrees help graduates navigate a lifetime of technological advances, career changes, and professional opportunities.”