Just 31% of U.S. adults now say a college education is “very important,” according to a new Gallup poll. That is four points below last year’s 35% reading, the previous record low, and less than half the 70% who said the same in 2013.
The result now sits slightly below Gallup’s 1978 starting point of 36%, adding to the long-running debate over whether college is still worth the investment.
Skepticism on the value of college has also grown just as fast. The share calling college “not too important” climbed from 6% in 2013 to 29% today, while “fairly important” rose from 23% to 39%. In 2013, a 64-point gap separated the “very important” and “not too important” camps, and that gap has shrunk to two points, a sharp reversal for families weighing what a college degree actually returns.
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Why It Matters
The price of college appears to be driving much of the shift. Gallup pointed to a recent Lumina Foundation-Gallup survey in which only 12% of U.S. adults called a four-year college education affordable. That view aligns with the rising average cost of college and a national student loan balance that has reached $1.86 trillion.
The drop is not confined to one group. Comparing combined June 2019 polls with combined August 2025 and 2026 polls, Gallup found double-digit declines among women, middle-aged and older adults, Democrats, Black and Hispanic adults, and college graduates, all groups where a majority called college very important in 2019.
For parents trying to navigate the cost of college before a child enrolls, the doubt on value now reaches nearly every household type.
The Disconnect With People Closest To College
The Gallup poll did flag a gap between public opinion and personal experience. The Lumina Foundation-Gallup State of Higher Education Study found that 73% of adults without a degree or credential say earning a two-year or four-year degree is at least as important as it was 20 years ago, along with 69% of college graduates.
Most parents also say they would prefer their child pursue a two- or four-year degree right after high school, which suggests Americans question college in the abstract while still planning on it for their own kids, a split that shows up in the case for and against a degree as a good investment.
How This Connects
The importance numbers line up with Gallup’s July reading on trust, when confidence in higher education fell to 38%, down from 57% in 2015.
They also land as federal policy pushes more options outside the four-year track, including new Workforce Pell Grants for short-term job training programs and federal student loan changes rolling out from 2026 through 2028.
What’s Next
The open question is whether attitudes turn into behavior. Watch fall 2026 enrollment counts, FAFSA filing volume for the 2027-28 school year, and early uptake of Workforce Pell, especially as borrowers adjust to what’s changing for student loans in 2026.
Editor: Colin Graves
Robert Farrington is the founder of The College Investor and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading voices on student loan debt and saving for college. He holds an MBA from UC San Diego Rady School of Management and has spent over 15 years researching, writing, and advising on student loans, 529 plans, financial aid programs, and saving and investing for young professionals.
Robert has been featured in the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NBC News, and Forbes, where he has been a regular personal finance contributor for over a decade. His work combines both professional expertise and personal experience – he successfully navigated his own student loan repayment journey and has helped thousands of readers do the same.
He is committed to making the intersection of personal finance and education transparent and accessible. You can learn more about Robert on the About Page or on his personal site RobertFarrington.com.