The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken Americans’ already-waning confidence in the value of higher education. Two-thirds of students now say college is no longer worth the cost, according to a survey from think tank Third Way. A study released in May by ECMC Group found that just half of Generation Z teenagers are interested in pursuing a four-year degree.
More troublingly, these views are not wholly unique to the COVID era. Even prior to the pandemic, less than half of Americans believed that earning a four-year degree would lead to good jobs and higher lifetime earnings.
