Americans have veered sharply against the value proposition of college
Is a four-year college degree "worth the cost because people have a better chance to get a good job and earn more money over their lifetime," or "not worth the cost because people often graduate without specific job skills and with a large amount of debt to pay off?"
Worth
the cost
Not
sure
Not
worth the cost
June 2013
53%
40
Aug. 2017
49
47
Oct. 2025
33
63
Source: CNBC polling from 2013; NBC News polls from 2017 and 2025
Graphic: NBC News