Only 1 in 4 say college degree very important for well-paying job: Poll

Amid a rocky year for higher education, only 1 in 4 in a new survey say a four-year college degree is very important for a well-paying job.

Further, 40 percent of those surveyed by Pew Research said it is not important to get a degree to obtain a well-paying job, while 35 percent said a degree is somewhat important and 25 percent said it is very important.

Opinions varied based on a person’s political ideology and education level, the pollster noted.

Republicans were more likely than Democrats to say they believe that degrees are less important than 20 years ago. Fifty percent of Republicans said a degree is not important at all for a good paying job while only 30 percent of Democrats felt the same. 

Additionally, 58 percent of college graduates said their education gave them useful skills for their jobs compared to 26 percent of high school graduates. 

The perception of degree importance is dropping at a time when wages for those without them are increasing. The poll noted workers between the ages of 25 and 34 have seen their salaries go up in the past 10 years. 

“The public has mixed views on the importance of having a college degree, and many have doubts about whether the cost is worth it,” Pew Research said.  

Some Ivy League schools have reached a sticker price of $90,000 a year with the average student debt per person around $30,000. 

The findings come as higher education has faced a tough year with campuses rocked by the Israel-Hamas war and protests and violence breaking out in the final months of the academic year.

The survey was conducted Nov. 27, 2023, to Dec. 3, 2023, with 5,203 respondents. The margin of error is 1.8 percentage points.