Record low say college education ‘very important’: Gallup

A new Gallup poll shows a record low number of people who say college education is “very important” as higher education continues to lose the trust of the public.

Only 31 percent of Americans think a college education is “very important,” according to the Gallup survey released Thursday, down 4 percentage points from last year.

The previous low for how many Americans thought college education is “very important” was hit in 1978. In 2013, 70 percent said college was very important.

The percentage of U.S. adults who think college is “not too important” went up from 6 percent in 2013 to 29 percent in this most recent poll. Those who say college education is “fairly important” rose from 23 percent to 39 percent.

The decline in the perceived importance of college is across all major demographic groups, according to Gallup, with double-digit declines in all categories, including age, gender, political affiliation, race and education status.

Gallup hypothesizes the cost of college could be a factor after a Lumina Foundation-Gallup survey found only 12 percent of U.S. adults believe college is affordable.

But the survey also found parents prefer their children to pursue some sort of degree after high school, and 73 percent of adults still believe a degree is as important as it was 20 years ago.