College No Longer a Golden Ticket as Gallup Shows Loss of Faith
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Gallup survey shows sharp decline in belief that college is “very important,” with experts citing cost, stress, and shifting generational priorities.
By TRH Global Affairs Desk
NEW DELHI, September 11, 2025 — A new Gallup survey has revealed a dramatic erosion in the perceived value of college education among Americans, reflecting what political scientist Ian Bremmer called on LinkedIn an “extraordinary generational change” in how the United States views higher learning.
The poll, conducted earlier this year, shows that only 35% of Americans consider a college education “very important”, a steep drop from 74% in 2013. Meanwhile, those who see college as “fairly important” have climbed to 40%, while 24% now say it is “not too important” — nearly five times higher than in 2010.
Gallup noted: “A college education is no longer universally considered the key to success in America, with younger generations increasingly skeptical about its returns.”
Experts point to a confluence of factors — the ballooning student debt crisis, stagnant wages for degree-holders, the rise of digital skills training, and alternative career pipelines that bypass universities.
US-based education experts attributed the sharp dip in perceived importance of college degrees to a slew of factors such as “four years and hundreds of thousands in tuition.” They argued that youngsters are preferring coding bootcamps, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurial ventures for “faster, cheaper paths to success.”
The generational divide is stark. Younger Americans are less likely to tie life success to a diploma, with Gen Z embracing flexible learning models and questioning legacy institutions. Bremmer’s observation captures the mood: “This isn’t just about education. It’s about trust in institutions, opportunity costs, and the cultural revaluation of what it means to ‘make it’ in America.”
As policymakers debate student loan forgiveness and universities grapple with enrollment declines, the Gallup findings underscore a broader societal reckoning: college is no longer the unquestioned ticket to the American Dream.
The Lumina Foundation’s State of Higher Education 2025 report, conducted with Gallup, highlights key reasons behind this decline. Among US adults without a degree, 57% have considered enrolling in the past two years — but most cited barriers such as cost, caregiving responsibilities, and emotional stress.
Gallup’s analysis notes that rising tuition, student debt burdens, and skepticism about job outcomes are eroding confidence in higher education. The survey further shows younger Americans, particularly those under 35, are far less likely to see a degree as essential compared to older generations.
The findings come as US universities face falling enrollment, culture-war battles, and mounting pressure to prove the return on investment. Gallup researchers caution that while college still provides economic advantages on average, public trust in its value is unravelling.
For a country where a college diploma was once seen as a near-guarantee of upward mobility, the Gallup survey signals a reckoning: in 2025, more Americans than ever before doubt whether higher education is worth the cost.
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