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Poll: American Voters Souring on Higher Education
More Than Half Say 4 Year Degree Less Important to Young Americans Building Successful Future
As DEI and Hamas Protests Overtake Traditional Universities, Confidence in Trade and Technical Schools Grows as Alternatives
(Manitou Springs, CO—June 4, 2024) Summit.org, in partnership with RMG Research, founded by Scott Rasmussen, one of the world’s leading public opinion pollsters—is releasing the results of a national survey. Results were from a survey of 1,497 registered voters nationwide that included 495 18-24 year old voters and was conducted March 20-21.
“Campus extremism seems to be costing American colleges and universities their pride of place in the minds of voters,” said Dr. Jeff Myers, President of Summit Ministries and author of a new book examining the history and role of Israel and the Jewish people in the Middle East. “When Americans watch the news, they see reports of college graduates who are cynical about American values, deeply in debt, and unemployable. Young voters remain optimistic about higher education, but it is noteworthy that a large majority also see technical schools as a viable alternative. The tide has turned against the notion that college is the only or best path to a successful career.”
The survey was conducted online for Summit Ministries on March 20-21, 2024 by RMG Research. The sample included 1,002 Registered Voters with an additional oversample of 495 18-24 year old voters. The sample was lightly weighted by geography, gender, age, race, education, internet usage, and political party to reasonably reflect the nation’s population of Registered Voters. The margin of sampling error for the full sample is +/- 3.1 percentage points. The margin of sampling error for 18-24 year olds is +/- 4.4 percentage points.
Get more info on Dr. Jeff Myers new book, Should Christians Support Israel? Seeking a Biblical Worldview in an Impossible Situation.
KEY INSIGHT: Majority of overall voters say a 4 year college degree has become less important for young Americans looking to build a successful future:
- 51% of total voters believe a 4 year college degree has become less important the last 10 years. 44% say a 4 year college degree has become more important. 5% say they are not sure.
- 33% of Gen Z voters say a 4 year degree has become less important in the last 10 years. 66% say it has become more important. 1% say they are not sure.
KEY INSIGHT: Large Majorities of Both Total Voters and Gen Z Voters Believe it has Become Easier for a Young American to Become Successful with an Education from Trade and Technical Schools:
- 62% of total voters say it is easier for a young American to become successful with an education from a trade or technical school than it was 10 years ago. 28% say it has become more difficult for a young American to become successful with an education from a trade or technical school. 9% say they are not sure.
- 60% of Gen Z voters say it is easier for a young American to become successful with an education from a trade or technical school than it was 10 years ago. 34% of Gen say it has become more difficult for a young American to become successful with an education from a trade or technical school. 6% are not sure.
About Summit Ministries — Founded in 1962 Summit Ministries’ mission is to equip and support rising generations to embrace God’s truth and champion a biblical worldview. Summit’s iconic two-week conferences for young adults have trained tens of thousands of today’s business innovators, cultural influencers, government officials, and church leaders. Its books and training courses equip hundreds of thousands of people a year to be confident in biblical truth.
About Scott Rassmussen/RMG Research —Scott Rasmussen has long been recognized as one of the world’s leading public opinion pollsters and top political analysts. Scott founded RMG Research, a political polling firm focused on asking the right questions and properly interpreting the results through RMG’s CounterPolling™ technique, providing a richer understanding of public attitudes and understanding of key issues.