More Americans question the value of college


Some Americans spend thousands–even hundreds of thousands–of dollars on higher education. As the cost of a degree continues to rise, it appears some have begun to question the worth of a college education, the Huffington Post reports. According to a survey recently conducted by Country Financial, only 57 percent of adults believe a college education is a good investment.

ABC News reports that number has “plummeted” since 2008 when 81 percent of adults considered college a worthy investment. The network attributes the steepest decline in those numbers to the Great Recession. That figure remains constant (fluctuating about 4 percent) across nearly every demographic, including various age groups, race, family size, and marriage. Income seemed to have the greatest impact, with 70 percent of households making $100,000 a year or more affirming the worth of a college education while only 47 percent of those making less than $20,000 per year agreed. Despite the decrease in a college diploma’s perceived value, the survey found an increased tolerance for the debt that people would be willing to take on while pursuing their degree. Just over 50 percent of respondents said $20,000 in debt was too much; last year, however, NBC News points out that 61 percent of respondents had the same limit…

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