Most voters say college degree is not worth the cost, new poll finds

A new NBC News national poll finds that 63% of registered voters in the U.S. believe a four-year college degree is not worth its cost, the lowest level of support recorded since the question was first introduced in 2013. Only 33% say the degree remains a sound investment, a sharp shift from earlier years when voters were more evenly divided. The survey, conducted Oct. 24 to 28 among 1,000 registered voters, offers the clearest data yet on how concerns about student debt, job readiness and tuition costs are reshaping public views of higher education.

Declining value of the diploma: Trend data in the NBC poll show a steady erosion in support for the financial value of a four-year degree, falling from 53% in 2013 to 49% in 2017 before reaching this year’s low. One third of respondents chose the statement describing a degree as beneficial for long-term job and earnings prospects, with 4% saying they were unsure. The poll also found that 61% of voters say their family income is falling behind the cost of living, which provides a financial backdrop for how they view the price of college.

Cost vs benefit: The degree option chosen by most respondents noted that graduates often finish school without specific job skills and with significant debt, signaling concerns about both career preparation and the burden of repayment. These factors shape how voters assess whether tuition costs match the economic outcomes they expect from a four-year degree.

What this means for Asian workers: Higher education has played an important role in economic mobility for many Asian American families, particularly within immigrant households that have relied on degrees to enter professional fields. The same fields where many Asian Americans work, including software development, information design and project management, are among those where formal degree requirements have declined as demand for AI-related skills has increased. These shifts influence how families assess tuition, debt and employment prospects as they consider which education pathways best support access to competitive academic and professional environments.

Most Zoomers agree: The polling sentiment from the general electorate aligns with data regarding younger workers. A Harris Poll conducted in March for Indeed reported that 51% of Gen Z degree holders said their education was not worth the cost, and 30% said artificial intelligence had made their degree obsolete, with that figure rising to 45% among Gen Z respondents. A separate ResumeGenius survey conducted in May found that nearly one in four Gen Z workers regretted going to college or wished they had pursued a different path.