By outdoor-nature-child.com A recent USA Today poll, conducted between June 13 and 18, surveyed 2,000 Americans, half of whom hold an associate degree or higher. The findings revealed that 59% of respondents burdened with student loan debt believe that pursuing a higher education is worthwhile, despite the financial strain. However, 29% of college graduates feel that their investment in a degree has not yielded the expected returns.
With over 42.2 million Americans carrying student debt, the average loan amount stands at $29,400.
Among the participants with higher education, the responses varied by major: 68% of those studying arts and humanities found their educational investment valuable, while 63% of students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and business echoed that sentiment. Additionally, 54% of respondents from medical and public health fields and 52% from social sciences agreed. Nonetheless, a significant 46% of college-educated participants believe they could have achieved their current positions without their degrees.
Interestingly, 39% of respondents indicated that their current jobs are unrelated to their fields of study. When looking at generational differences, 50% of millennials and 42% of Gen Z participants share this perspective. Conversely, a noteworthy portion—52% of millennials and 42% of college-educated Gen Z individuals—believes their career trajectories would be markedly different without their academic credentials.
The value of their education is further reinforced by the fact that 76% of graduate students and 59% of undergraduates reported no regrets about their decision to pursue their degrees.
For those who opted not to continue their education, economic challenges were the primary reason cited by 36%, followed by family obligations at 28%. Additionally, 22% felt a lack of direction regarding their futures at that time, and 9% mentioned wanting to focus on personal relationships or travel.
Among those with higher education, 31% expressed regret about not taking a gap year before starting college. This sentiment was particularly strong among Gen Z, with 47% expressing regret, followed by 39% of millennials, 30% of Gen X, and 18% of baby boomers.