Poll: Most Americans no longer think a college education is "very important"

One of the more surprising findings was the declining belief that a college education today is very important. Just four years ago, 75% of Americans held that belief. Now, less than 50% said a college education is very important today. Similarly, in 2010, 77% of parents said it was somewhat or very likely that they would be able to pay for college for their oldest child. That percentage declined to 69% this year.

On the whole, Americans are doubtful about students’ career readiness. Just 3% of Americans say a high school dropout is ready for the world of work, and just 13% say a high school grad is ready. Thirty-seven percent of Americans agree that college grads are ready for the work world, and fewer (31%) agree high school grads are ready for college.

In order of importance, Americans believe the most important factor in helping a high school student get a good job one day is: learning skills like dependability, persistence, and teamwork; having a mentor or adviser; earning a B or higher grade point average; and working on a real-world project that takes at least six months to complete. Performing well on standardized tests, such as the ACT and SAT, was rated lowest in importance for getting a good job.