I woke up this morning to a wonderful headline, and a terrific poll. Check it out. https://bit.ly/3Vvze5O Here are the highlights.
• 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.
• 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.
I’ve been tracking these numbers since 2008, and never seen it like this. Then again, I’ve never seen American universities do more to sabotage themselves than right now. Extremism on campus has eroded the prestige that American colleges and universities rely upon to sell their product. When we watch the news, we see college graduates who are deeply cynical about American values, deeply in debt, coddled by their administrators, and unemployable in record numbers. Gen Z remain optimistic about higher education, but now, a large majority are finally seeing technical schools as a viable alternative. The tide has turned, and a lot of people on this page have helped make that happen.
Congratulations, and thanks.
PS. We just finished evaluating the latest round of applications for work ethic scholarships. I’ll announce the recipients in early July.