Gallup reports a record‑low 31% of Americans now say a college education is "very important," down 4 points from last year and sharply lower than 2013 levels (70%). The share calling college "not too important" jumped to 29%, while 39% call it "fairly important." A Lumina Foundation–Gallup survey found only 12% view college as affordable. Despite the decline in perceived urgency, parents still favor postsecondary study and 73% say a degree is as important as it was two decades ago.
Gallup: Record Low — Just 31% Of Americans Say College Is "Very Important"
People walk along a sidewalk on the campus of Harvard University, in Cambridge, Mass., July 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
Americans are increasingly questioning the necessity of a traditional four‑year college degree. A Gallup poll finds a record‑low 31% of U.S. adults now describe college as "very important," marking a notable decline from recent years.
Key Findings
That 31% reading is four percentage points lower than a year earlier and represents a dramatic fall from 2013, when 70% of adults called a college education "very important." Gallup reports the new figure undercuts the previous low, which had stood since 1978.
At the same time, the share of adults who say college is "not too important" has risen sharply to 29%, up from just 6% in 2013. Another 39% of respondents now describe college as "fairly important," compared with 23% in 2013.
Broad-Based Shift
Gallup found double‑digit drops in the share labeling college "very important" across every major demographic group it examined, including age, gender, race, political affiliation and educational attainment. The pattern suggests the change in perception is widespread rather than confined to a single region or subgroup.
Cost, Value And Context
Observers point to rising tuition, student debt and growing skepticism about return on investment as likely drivers of the shift. A separate Lumina Foundation–Gallup survey found only 12% of U.S. adults consider college affordable, a factor Gallup said could help explain the decline in how essential people view a college education.
Still, Americans have not abandoned the idea that education beyond high school matters. Parents generally prefer their children pursue some form of postsecondary education, and 73% of adults say earning a degree is at least as important today as it was 20 years ago. That nuance suggests many people are distinguishing between the value of postsecondary credentials and whether a traditional four‑year college is the best or only route.
Methodology: The Gallup poll was conducted Aug. 3–24 and surveyed 1,200 U.S. adults. The margin of error is ±4 percentage points.
Help us improve.
