NBC News Poll: dramatic shift, Americans no longer see 4-year college degrees as worth the cost

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College should be about learning, not about getting a job!

Then it should be free.

Yes, state schools should be free for a very small % of the population that qualify.

[Anonymous]

The prevailing sentiment is nothing is “worth” the cost in the current environment, from the $40,000 Honda to the $500,000 starter home with a bad roof. Inflation is tough.

It’s easy to question a 160K college degree in a shifting job market but people will still send their kids because complaining about value doesn't pay the bills, better jobs do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The prevailing sentiment is nothing is “worth” the cost in the current environment, from the $40,000 Honda to the $500,000 starter home with a bad roof. Inflation is tough.

It’s easy to question a 160K college degree in a shifting job market but people will still send their kids because complaining about value doesn't pay the bills, better jobs do.

People will keep paying these outrageous prices because it’s easier to go along with the crowd than to think for yourself.

Amassing an ungodly amount of debt, foregoing four years of earnings, just to get a degree that may or may not lead to a “good” job which may or may not be outsourced at any time doesn’t pay the bills either, believe it or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Remember when some colleges outrageously hit $35K tuition in the 90s?

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/poll-dramatic-shift-americans-no-longer-see-four-year-college-degrees-rcna243672

Almost two-thirds of registered voters say that a four-year college degree isn’t worth the cost, according to a new NBC News poll, a dramatic decline over the last decade.

That's a NSS situation.

Overpriced and diplomas are worthless now that they give them to any DEI idiot that enrolls with gubmint tuition gibs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a middle-class parent, it often feels like the entire system is stacked against us. My children are academically strong, but without paying for private K–12 schools, specialized extracurriculars, or competitive sports, their chances of getting into top colleges feel limited. And even if they do get in, without family connections they’re stepping into a job market with shrinking white-collar opportunities. Outsourcing and AI are only making high-paying jobs harder to find.

Raising a family has become a long, exhausting journey for the middle class. By the time we hope our kids can launch into adulthood, many of them can’t afford to live independently. With inflation rising and wages barely moving, homeownership feels increasingly out of reach. I see colleagues delaying retirement because they still have to support their adult children. This is not what middle-class families expect after encouraging their kids to study hard, earn degrees, and become self-sufficient.

Why has higher education become such an expensive product for the middle class?

Wages have been increasing faster than inflation for the last year+.

“ Wages have been increasing faster than inflation in the United States from July 2024 to July 2025, with nominal wages rising by 4.2% compared to an inflation rate of 2.7%, resulting in a 1.5 percentage point advantage for wage growth. This trend has been consistent since February 2024, with wage growth outpacing inflation each month. Real wages, which account for inflation, increased by $18 to $30 per week during this period depending on the measurement timeframe.”

We’re still in a bit of a hole after the runaway inflation a few years ago, but your statement isn’t at all true.

Oh wow a whole year! That should really go far!

Honest question: are you trolling or are you really this stupid?

I mean, the statement was inflation was rising and wages were stagnant; that’s not true. We’re 1% below in spending power from where we were before the last bout of bad inflation; that hardly seems to warrant the histrionics of the post I responded to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a middle-class parent, it often feels like the entire system is stacked against us. My children are academically strong, but without paying for private K–12 schools, specialized extracurriculars, or competitive sports, their chances of getting into top colleges feel limited. And even if they do get in, without family connections they’re stepping into a job market with shrinking white-collar opportunities. Outsourcing and AI are only making high-paying jobs harder to find.

Raising a family has become a long, exhausting journey for the middle class. By the time we hope our kids can launch into adulthood, many of them can’t afford to live independently. With inflation rising and wages barely moving, homeownership feels increasingly out of reach. I see colleagues delaying retirement because they still have to support their adult children. This is not what middle-class families expect after encouraging their kids to study hard, earn degrees, and become self-sufficient.

Why has higher education become such an expensive product for the middle class?

Wages have been increasing faster than inflation for the last year+.

“ Wages have been increasing faster than inflation in the United States from July 2024 to July 2025, with nominal wages rising by 4.2% compared to an inflation rate of 2.7%, resulting in a 1.5 percentage point advantage for wage growth. This trend has been consistent since February 2024, with wage growth outpacing inflation each month. Real wages, which account for inflation, increased by $18 to $30 per week during this period depending on the measurement timeframe.”

We’re still in a bit of a hole after the runaway inflation a few years ago, but your statement isn’t at all true.

Oh wow a whole year! That should really go far!

Honest question: are you trolling or are you really this stupid?

I mean, the statement was inflation was rising and wages were stagnant; that’s not true. We’re 1% below in spending power from where we were before the last bout of bad inflation; that hardly seems to warrant the histrionics of the post I responded to.

You clearly don’t understand basic math, statistics, or English, dear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a middle-class parent, it often feels like the entire system is stacked against us. My children are academically strong, but without paying for private K–12 schools, specialized extracurriculars, or competitive sports, their chances of getting into top colleges feel limited. And even if they do get in, without family connections they’re stepping into a job market with shrinking white-collar opportunities. Outsourcing and AI are only making high-paying jobs harder to find.

Raising a family has become a long, exhausting journey for the middle class. By the time we hope our kids can launch into adulthood, many of them can’t afford to live independently. With inflation rising and wages barely moving, homeownership feels increasingly out of reach. I see colleagues delaying retirement because they still have to support their adult children. This is not what middle-class families expect after encouraging their kids to study hard, earn degrees, and become self-sufficient.

Why has higher education become such an expensive product for the middle class?

Wages have been increasing faster than inflation for the last year+.

“ Wages have been increasing faster than inflation in the United States from July 2024 to July 2025, with nominal wages rising by 4.2% compared to an inflation rate of 2.7%, resulting in a 1.5 percentage point advantage for wage growth. This trend has been consistent since February 2024, with wage growth outpacing inflation each month. Real wages, which account for inflation, increased by $18 to $30 per week during this period depending on the measurement timeframe.”

We’re still in a bit of a hole after the runaway inflation a few years ago, but your statement isn’t at all true.

Oh wow a whole year! That should really go far!

Honest question: are you trolling or are you really this stupid?

I mean, the statement was inflation was rising and wages were stagnant; that’s not true. We’re 1% below in spending power from where we were before the last bout of bad inflation; that hardly seems to warrant the histrionics of the post I responded to.

You clearly don’t understand basic math, statistics, or English, dear.

they currently used histrionics, dear...

[Anonymous]

I want my kids to go to a four year college, but I think the state option ranked around 100 is perfectly fine for the vast majority of careers. I wouldn’t want them to take on debt or us to not prioritize our retirement to spend 90k a year for them to go to a private college in the T50.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a middle-class parent, it often feels like the entire system is stacked against us. My children are academically strong, but without paying for private K–12 schools, specialized extracurriculars, or competitive sports, their chances of getting into top colleges feel limited. And even if they do get in, without family connections they’re stepping into a job market with shrinking white-collar opportunities. Outsourcing and AI are only making high-paying jobs harder to find.

Raising a family has become a long, exhausting journey for the middle class. By the time we hope our kids can launch into adulthood, many of them can’t afford to live independently. With inflation rising and wages barely moving, homeownership feels increasingly out of reach. I see colleagues delaying retirement because they still have to support their adult children. This is not what middle-class families expect after encouraging their kids to study hard, earn degrees, and become self-sufficient.

Why has higher education become such an expensive product for the middle class?

Wages have been increasing faster than inflation for the last year+.

“ Wages have been increasing faster than inflation in the United States from July 2024 to July 2025, with nominal wages rising by 4.2% compared to an inflation rate of 2.7%, resulting in a 1.5 percentage point advantage for wage growth. This trend has been consistent since February 2024, with wage growth outpacing inflation each month. Real wages, which account for inflation, increased by $18 to $30 per week during this period depending on the measurement timeframe.”

We’re still in a bit of a hole after the runaway inflation a few years ago, but your statement isn’t at all true.

Oh wow a whole year! That should really go far!

Honest question: are you trolling or are you really this stupid?

I mean, the statement was inflation was rising and wages were stagnant; that’s not true. We’re 1% below in spending power from where we were before the last bout of bad inflation; that hardly seems to warrant the histrionics of the post I responded to.

You clearly don’t understand basic math, statistics, or English, dear.

they currently used histrionics, dear...

They did not. Words have meaning.

You both need to demand a refund for your overpriced educations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a middle-class parent, it often feels like the entire system is stacked against us. My children are academically strong, but without paying for private K–12 schools, specialized extracurriculars, or competitive sports, their chances of getting into top colleges feel limited. And even if they do get in, without family connections they’re stepping into a job market with shrinking white-collar opportunities. Outsourcing and AI are only making high-paying jobs harder to find.

Raising a family has become a long, exhausting journey for the middle class. By the time we hope our kids can launch into adulthood, many of them can’t afford to live independently. With inflation rising and wages barely moving, homeownership feels increasingly out of reach. I see colleagues delaying retirement because they still have to support their adult children. This is not what middle-class families expect after encouraging their kids to study hard, earn degrees, and become self-sufficient.

Why has higher education become such an expensive product for the middle class?

Wages have been increasing faster than inflation for the last year+.

“ Wages have been increasing faster than inflation in the United States from July 2024 to July 2025, with nominal wages rising by 4.2% compared to an inflation rate of 2.7%, resulting in a 1.5 percentage point advantage for wage growth. This trend has been consistent since February 2024, with wage growth outpacing inflation each month. Real wages, which account for inflation, increased by $18 to $30 per week during this period depending on the measurement timeframe.”

We’re still in a bit of a hole after the runaway inflation a few years ago, but your statement isn’t at all true.

Oh wow a whole year! That should really go far!

Honest question: are you trolling or are you really this stupid?

I mean, the statement was inflation was rising and wages were stagnant; that’s not true. We’re 1% below in spending power from where we were before the last bout of bad inflation; that hardly seems to warrant the histrionics of the post I responded to.

You clearly don’t understand basic math, statistics, or English, dear.

they currently used histrionics, dear...

They did not. Words have meaning.

You both need to demand a refund for your overpriced educations.

Or just buy a dictionary. It's correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. They are right. Aside from a small handful of professions, 4 year degrees are worthless. We need to move toward apprenticeship for office jobs.

There aren't going to be as many "office jobs" in the future pp, so no need for apprenticeships for them.

The jobs that will be there are things machines can't do: cut hair, fix cars and other machinery, repair roads, grow food, clean houses do lawn care etc... Essentially any job current low paid immigrants are doing.

Yes there will be. Spend some time listening to real AI experts and building RAG models. You will quickly learn that AI won’t replace humans but will augment work.

That's not the current plan of the billionaires though. I'm actually married to an AI expert.

So you don’t actually know what you’re talking about.

Yes, I have eyes and ears and see what is happening with billionaires. They don't want to pay people fair wages for their work and the fewer workers the better, apparently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a middle-class parent, it often feels like the entire system is stacked against us. My children are academically strong, but without paying for private K–12 schools, specialized extracurriculars, or competitive sports, their chances of getting into top colleges feel limited. And even if they do get in, without family connections they’re stepping into a job market with shrinking white-collar opportunities. Outsourcing and AI are only making high-paying jobs harder to find.

Raising a family has become a long, exhausting journey for the middle class. By the time we hope our kids can launch into adulthood, many of them can’t afford to live independently. With inflation rising and wages barely moving, homeownership feels increasingly out of reach. I see colleagues delaying retirement because they still have to support their adult children. This is not what middle-class families expect after encouraging their kids to study hard, earn degrees, and become self-sufficient.

Why has higher education become such an expensive product for the middle class?

Wages have been increasing faster than inflation for the last year+.

“ Wages have been increasing faster than inflation in the United States from July 2024 to July 2025, with nominal wages rising by 4.2% compared to an inflation rate of 2.7%, resulting in a 1.5 percentage point advantage for wage growth. This trend has been consistent since February 2024, with wage growth outpacing inflation each month. Real wages, which account for inflation, increased by $18 to $30 per week during this period depending on the measurement timeframe.”

We’re still in a bit of a hole after the runaway inflation a few years ago, but your statement isn’t at all true.

Oh wow a whole year! That should really go far!

Honest question: are you trolling or are you really this stupid?

I mean, the statement was inflation was rising and wages were stagnant; that’s not true. We’re 1% below in spending power from where we were before the last bout of bad inflation; that hardly seems to warrant the histrionics of the post I responded to.

You clearly don’t understand basic math, statistics, or English, dear.

they currently used histrionics, dear...

They did not. Words have meaning.

You both need to demand a refund for your overpriced educations.

Or just buy a dictionary. It's correct.

I’m sure that you are able to correctly sound out the words in the definition (gold star for you!), but you have utterly failed to comprehend the meaning of either the definition or the original PP’s post.

Describing the OPP’s post as histrionic is an example of hyperbole. (Go ahead and look that one up, dear.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College should be about learning, not about getting a job!

I would argue that K-12 is about learning for the sake of learning. Past grade 12, it’s about a career and entering the work force. When the US began acting like college was compensatory education and propped it up by government lending programs, things went off the rails.
Other countries have free or low cost universities which have programs much for specialised towards careers than here.

Then don't go to college and go to trade/vocational programs. Colleges are not designed around optimizing your career opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. They are right. Aside from a small handful of professions, 4 year degrees are worthless. We need to move toward apprenticeship for office jobs.

There aren't going to be as many "office jobs" in the future pp, so no need for apprenticeships for them.

The jobs that will be there are things machines can't do: cut hair, fix cars and other machinery, repair roads, grow food, clean houses do lawn care etc... Essentially any job current low paid immigrants are doing.

Yes there will be. Spend some time listening to real AI experts and building RAG models. You will quickly learn that AI won’t replace humans but will augment work.

That's not the current plan of the billionaires though. I'm actually married to an AI expert.

So you don’t actually know what you’re talking about.

Yes, I have eyes and ears and see what is happening with billionaires. They don't want to pay people fair wages for their work and the fewer workers the better, apparently.

That's a propaganda phrase invented by the rich Socialists to keep the dumb poors always unhappy and trying to work harder to pay more taxes.

You fell for the PSYOP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good. They are right. Aside from a small handful of professions, 4 year degrees are worthless. We need to move toward apprenticeship for office jobs.

There aren't going to be as many "office jobs" in the future pp, so no need for apprenticeships for them.

The jobs that will be there are things machines can't do: cut hair, fix cars and other machinery, repair roads, grow food, clean houses do lawn care etc... Essentially any job current low paid immigrants are doing.

Yes there will be. Spend some time listening to real AI experts and building RAG models. You will quickly learn that AI won’t replace humans but will augment work.

That's not the current plan of the billionaires though. I'm actually married to an AI expert.

So you don’t actually know what you’re talking about.

Yes, I have eyes and ears and see what is happening with billionaires. They don't want to pay people fair wages for their work and the fewer workers the better, apparently.

That's a propaganda phrase invented by the rich Socialists to keep the dumb poors always unhappy and trying to work harder to pay more taxes.

You fell for the PSYOP.

You should have enough money to live. In elon musks dream, you get paid $1/hour and are worse off than a serf. Get real.