A college degree doesn’t come cheap. When you add up the cost of tuition, room and board, books, and various fees, many of today’s college graduates (and their parents) can look forward to years of hefty student loan payments. Not such a big deal for those who have degrees in high-paying fields who are able to quickly find employment. But for those who graduate and have a tough time finding a job in their desired field or who take a job in a field with a low salary, crushing educational debt can make it hard to get ahead. A recent article in USA Today highlights the struggles of college students trying to get the best educational bang for their buck – including abandoning their expensive “dream schools” and giving a hard look at the option of attending less expensive state schools and community colleges.

While most agree that a college degree is worth the cost, we were surprised to find a new Zogby-Scoop44 poll showed that among those with college degrees, 25% don’t think a degree is worth it today given the high price of attendance. That’s a pretty significant number coming from those who know first-hand about the costs and benefits of having a college degree. But it’s also important to note that we asked about the cost and benefit of a college degree today – many respondents likely earned their degrees when the cost to attend college was much less.

Over at Scoop44, Alexander Heffner gets the perspective of some current college students and professors on the subject of today’s high college costs including, Patricia Graham, a longtime professor of history and education at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College, who cautions: “Making more money, though, is not the only reason to go to college.”

Making more money certainly isn’t the only value in earning a college degree, but as college costs continue to rise and the overall economy struggles, many prospective college students may be doing the math to determine if a high-priced degree is worth the expense. Do you think a college degree is worth it today? At what point, if any, do you think a college degree becomes too costly and do you think college costs will ever reverse the trend and become more affordable?

Steph education economy, education, employment, history, recession, war, zogby

Many people assume that the purpose of education is to provide children with basic skills, especially reading and math. However, others have envisioned more ambitious and encompassing purposes, such as developing character or serving as a venue for self-expression. Our data show that views of the purpose of education vary significantly among different generations.

Thus, First Globals are by far most likely to believe that “one of the purposes of public education is to expose children to the points of view different from those of their families.” In our 2008 study, 69% of First Globals agreed with this statement, compared to 49% of those between ages 30 and 49, and 37% of those older than 65.

It might be argued that this dilemma boils down to the question of whether the primary responsibility for the well-being of the children lies with their parents or with the state. Should parents be forced to pay for having their children learn about points of view they might find objectionable, or is it the responsibility of the state through public education to expand a child’s world-view?

Zeljka education education, first globals, Generations

A recent article in the New York Times discusses the phenomenon of American college students attending college abroad. While the percentage of students who choose to study abroad for a semester or a year has been increasing for several years, the article notes that American students choosing to spend their entire college career abroad is a relatively new phenomenon. Reasons listed for studying abroad include things such as international experience, prestige, less selectivity than some U.S. colleges and universities, and a “cost well below the tuition at a top private university in the United States” (though the article also notes that many foreign universities consider American students “cash cows,” who pay less than their in-country students).

Zogby International has made an extensive study of the “globalness” of  First Globals™ — our data show, for example, that First Globals™ are the most likely of any generation to have a valid passport, the most likely to plan to travel overseas in the next five years, the most likely to have friends and family living overseas, and the most likely to have previously travelled abroad on service or educational visits.

Do you believe that young Americans attending college or university in a foreign country is another manifestation of this same “globalness”, or is it something different – perhaps a response to rising higher education costs in the United States?

Katy education, first globals education, first globals, international, travel, zogby

During the recent Senate confirmation hearing of Arne Duncan, President Obama’s nominee for secretary of education, Duncan mentioned “real and meaningful change” as his goal for American schools. However, a New York Times article describing the hearing notes that Duncan “did little to resolve the curiosities of educators and policymakers about how he and Mr. Obama intend to bring about change in American education, or what kind of rewrite they will support for the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law.”

Zogby’s own research indicates that most Americans favor government action to raise the quality of American education. In a poll last summer,  respondents were asked to rank the importance of a number of policy issues from 1 (not at all important) to 5 (of greatest importance). When asked specifically about “government ensuring the highest quality high school education for all American students” and “government ensuring the highest quality primary education for all American students”, 92% of those surveyed ranked the former statement a 4 or 5 and 94% of those surveyed ranked the latter statement a 4 or 5 in importance. In addition, many Americans see a connection between government involvement in education and America’s standing in the world, with 83% of respondents strongly or somewhat agreeing that “the more the United States government invests in the education of its citizens, the more likely it is that America will be able to compete successfully in a global economy.”

With so many Americans favoring government-assisted quality education and believing that education and performance in a global economy are linked, what (if any) “real and meaningful change” do you think is likely to happen to education under the Obama administration?

Katy education, politics economy, education, Obama, politics, summer, zogby