IS COLLEGE WORTH IT? POLL FINDS ONLY 36% OF AMERICANS HAVE CONFIDENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION
AppleMagazine|July 12, 2024
Americans are increasingly skeptical about the value and cost of college, with most saying they feel the U.S. higher education system is headed in the “wrong direction,” according to a new poll.
IS COLLEGE WORTH IT? POLL FINDS ONLY 36% OF AMERICANS HAVE CONFIDENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Overall, only 36% of adults say they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education, according to the report released this week by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation. That confidence level has declined steadily from 57% in 2015.

Some of the same opinions have been reflected in declining enrollment as colleges contend with the effects of the student debt crisis, concerns about the high cost of tuition and political debates over how they teach about race and other topics.

The dimming view of whether college is worth the time and money cuts across all demographics — including gender, age, political affiliation. Among Republicans, the number of respondents with high confidence in higher education has dropped 36 percentage points over the last decade — far more than it dropped for Democrats or independents.

“It’s so expensive, and I don’t think colleges are teaching people what they need to get a job,” says Randy Hill, 59, a registered Republican in Connecticut and a driver for a car service. His nephew plans to do a welding apprenticeship after graduating high school. “You graduate out of college, you’re up to eyeballs in debt, you can’t get a job, then you can’t pay it off. What’s the point?”

This story is from the July 12, 2024 edition of AppleMagazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the July 12, 2024 edition of AppleMagazine.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM APPLEMAGAZINEView All
JAPAN'S NISSAN RESHUFFLES MANAGEMENT TO FIX ITS MONEY-LOSING BUSINESS
AppleMagazine

JAPAN'S NISSAN RESHUFFLES MANAGEMENT TO FIX ITS MONEY-LOSING BUSINESS

Embattled Japanese automaker Nissan has tapped Jeremie Papin, who was overseeing its U.S. operations, as its chief financial officer in a major management reshuffle billed as key to a turnaround.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 20, 2024
AUSTRALIA PLANS TO TAX DIGITAL PLATFORMS THAT DON'T PAY FOR NEWS
AppleMagazine

AUSTRALIA PLANS TO TAX DIGITAL PLATFORMS THAT DON'T PAY FOR NEWS

The Australian government said it will tax large digital platforms and search engines unless they agree to share revenue with Australian news media organizations.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 20, 2024
NEARLY HALF OF US TEENS ARE ONLINE 'CONSTANTLY,' PEW REPORT FINDS
AppleMagazine

NEARLY HALF OF US TEENS ARE ONLINE 'CONSTANTLY,' PEW REPORT FINDS

Nearly half of American teenagers say they are online “constantly” despite concerns about the effects of social media and smartphones on their mental health, according to a new report published by the Pew Research Center.

time-read
1 min  |
December 20, 2024
EPA AWARDS $135 MILLION TO CALIFORNIA TO PHASE OUT BIG DIESEL TRUCKS
AppleMagazine

EPA AWARDS $135 MILLION TO CALIFORNIA TO PHASE OUT BIG DIESEL TRUCKS

The Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $135 million in grants to fund 13 projects in California to help the state wean off fossil fuels and phase out big rigs that run on diesel.

time-read
1 min  |
December 20, 2024
MUSK SAYS US IS DEMANDING HE PAY PENALTY OVER DISCLOSURES OF HIS TWITTER STOCK PURCHASES
AppleMagazine

MUSK SAYS US IS DEMANDING HE PAY PENALTY OVER DISCLOSURES OF HIS TWITTER STOCK PURCHASES

Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed or failed to disclose - about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 20, 2024
US HIKES TARIFFS ON IMPORTS OF CHINESE SOLAR WAFERS.POLYSILICON AND TUNGSTEN PRODUCTS
AppleMagazine

US HIKES TARIFFS ON IMPORTS OF CHINESE SOLAR WAFERS.POLYSILICON AND TUNGSTEN PRODUCTS

The Biden administration plans to raise tariffs on solar wafers, polysilicon and some tungsten products from China to protect U.S. clean energy businesses.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 20, 2024
TECH TIP: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH ENCRYPTION
AppleMagazine

TECH TIP: HOW TO PROTECT YOUR COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH ENCRYPTION

After a sprawling hacking campaign exposed the communications of an unknown number of Americans, U.S. cybersecurity officials are advising people to use encryption in their communications.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 20, 2024
OPENAI'S LEGAL BATTLE WITH ELON MUSK REVEALS INTERNAL TURMOIL OVER AVOIDING AI 'DICTATORSHIP'
AppleMagazine

OPENAI'S LEGAL BATTLE WITH ELON MUSK REVEALS INTERNAL TURMOIL OVER AVOIDING AI 'DICTATORSHIP'

A 7-year-old rivalry between tech leaders Elon Musk and Sam Altman over who should run OpenAI and prevent an artificial intelligence “dictatorship” is now heading to a federal judge as Musk seeks to halt the ChatGPT maker’s ongoing shift into a for-profit company.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 20, 2024
A NEW NEUTRINO DETECTOR IN CHINA AIMS TO SPOT MYSTERIOUS GHOST PARTICLES LURKING AROUND US
AppleMagazine

A NEW NEUTRINO DETECTOR IN CHINA AIMS TO SPOT MYSTERIOUS GHOST PARTICLES LURKING AROUND US

Underneath a granite hill in southern China, a massive detector is nearly complete that will sniff out the mysterious ghost particles lurking around us.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 20, 2024
ELON MUSK WANTS TO TURN SPACEX'S STARBASE SITE INTO A TEXAS CITY
AppleMagazine

ELON MUSK WANTS TO TURN SPACEX'S STARBASE SITE INTO A TEXAS CITY

SpaceX is launching a new mission: making its Starbase site a new Texas city.

time-read
1 min  |
December 20, 2024