Americans value college less than ever, but here’s what salary data says

Americans’ belief in the necessity of a college degree has dropped sharply over the past decade. Only about one in three U.S. adults now say higher education is "very important," down from three-quarters in 2010, according to a new Gallup poll.

Yet Census Bureau data shows that college still pays off in significant ways, with median earnings for degree holders nearly double those of high school graduates.

How views on college have shifted

In Gallup’s latest survey, conducted Aug. 1–20, 35% of adults said a college education is very important. Another 40% rated it fairly important, while 24% said it is not too important.

That marks a steep decline since 2019, when 53% of Americans called it very important. In 2010, 75% felt that way. Meanwhile, the share who dismiss college as not too