In
a new poll from the research group New America, a majority of respondents
agreed “a college degree leads to better job opportunities than a high-school
diploma,” according to a report in The Chronicle of Higher Education. A large percentage (78% of respondents who
said they were Republicans and 84% of those who voted Democrat) also were
“comfortable” with tax money being used to fund colleges and universities.
However,
although the respondents had a more favorable view of community colleges in
general as well as the institutions in their local vicinity, they weren’t so
sure about other schools in the higher-ed universe. Just 25% of respondents
were satisfied with the current state of higher education.
The
biggest reason was cost. Thirty-eight percent of respondents viewed college
attendance overall as too costly, yet 81% thought community colleges were
“worth the cost.” The findings suggest that the public perceives
community-college coursework as more directly tied to job requirements than four-year
institutions.
Only
12% indicated a college education should be free for all students.
