"School is expensive, student loan debt is often onerous and job security for those with degrees has diminished - even more so with the advent of AI. Plus, at the moment new graduates are seeing higher unemployment rates. There's also growing interest and appeal for young adults in the skilled trades - becoming plumbers, electricians, etc. - especially as AI appears to threaten white collar work."
"Between the lines: There's also been loud criticism, particularly from conservatives, over the political leanings of universities, criticized as "elitist" "woke" "leftist," etc. Yet both Democrats and Republicans express far less support for higher education than they did more than a decade ago. By the numbers: In 2013, 68% of Republicans said a college education was very important; this year that number fell to 20%, per Gallup."
"Where it stands: College grads earn more than twice what high-school graduates make. The median income in a household headed by someone with at least a bachelor's degree was $132,700 last year - that's more than double the $58,410 median income of a household led by a high-school grad, according to Census income data released last week. And earnings for college-led households have pulled away from the pack - rising more than 6% over the past two decades."
High tuition and onerous student loan debt have reduced perceived value of college while job security for degree holders has diminished, especially with AI affecting white-collar roles. New graduates are experiencing higher unemployment and many young adults are gravitating toward skilled trades like plumbing and electrical work. Political criticism of universities' perceived left-leaning stances has eroded bipartisan support for higher education, with sharp drops in percentages who view college as very important. Gallup polling recorded Republican views falling from 68% in 2013 to 20% now and Democratic views falling from 83% to 42%. Census data show median household income with a bachelor's degree at $132,700 versus $58,410 for high-school-led households, and college-led household earnings rose over 6% in two decades.
Read at Axios
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]