For much of modern American history, college has been more than an educational path. It has been a symbol of opportunity, mobility, and the American Dream. But heading into the mid-2020s, something striking is happening: confidence in the value of higher education is no longer a given. Where a college degree was once widely seen as the clearest route to success, Americans today are increasingly weighing the benefits versus the rising costs.
In the decades following World War II, when higher education became a cornerstone of middle-class life, the GI Bill sent millions of veterans to college. Public universities expanded rapidly and a degree came to represent, not just learning, but economic security. For generations, Americans largely agreed: college was worth it, and then some.
By the end of the 70s, that belief was pronounced. According to a 1978 Gallup Poll, 36% of Americans said a college education was very important. By 1985, that share had jumped to 64% reflecting a growing sense that a diploma mattered more than ever.
Yet, even during this period of rising confidence, concerns were emerging. In 1985, 39% of Americans said most people could afford a college education. By 1991, that share had fallen to just 25%, based on Pew Research Center data, an early warning sign that cost was beginning to erode the universal promise of higher education.
Despite cost concerns, the importance of a degree was still ingrained in many Americans. Just after the Great Recession reshaped economic expectations, a 2011 Pew Research Center Social & Demographic Trends survey reported 74% of Americans said that, in order to get ahead in life, it was necessary to get a college education. At that moment, college still stood as the central gateway to opportunity.
By the early 2010s, public sentiment remained overwhelmingly positive. In 2010, roughly 75% of Americans said a college education was very important, according to Gallup— reflecting a now long-held belief that a degree was essential for landing a good job and achieving upward mobility.
But, by the middle of the 2010’s, cracks began to appear. As tuition rose faster than wages and student loan debt became a defining issue for young adults, Americans started to question the value proposition. The belief that college was indispensable no longer went unchallenged. Even as enrollment remained high, skepticism was quietly growing beneath the surface.
A 2015 Gallup–Purdue Index study found that only 38% of recent graduates strongly agreed their degree was worth what they paid, a notably lower share than among older alumni. Even among those who had already gone to college, satisfaction was slipping. The promise of college was still there, but it no longer felt guaranteed. By 2019, only 51% of Americans saw a college education as very important.
The 2020s have made that divide even clearer. According to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey, 49% Americans now say a college degree is less important today than it was 20 years ago for getting a good job, while just 32% say it’s more important. When cost enters the conversation, the picture sharpens further: the same Pew survey found that only 22% believe college is worth it if it requires taking out loans. A much larger share (47%) say it’s only worth it without debt, and 29% say it’s not worth the cost at all.
Last year, the shift in attitudes is unmistakable. A 2025 Gallup Poll showed only about one-third (35%) of Americans now say a college education is very important, down sharply from 75% in 2010, based on earlier Gallup tracking data. Confidence in higher education has also fallen: according to a 2024 Gallup survey, just 36% of Americans express a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in colleges and universities, compared with 57% in 2015.
Americans have not abandoned higher education, but they are clearly rethinking it. The college dream hasn’t disappeared, but it has become more conditional, more cautious, and more closely tied to affordability and outcomes.
This post was written by Marist Poll Media Team member A.J. Gambino.