Americans still believe a college education opens doors, but patience is running out for a system that too often feels overpriced, inflexible, and out of touch. We sit down with New America’s Sophie Nguyen to unpack the Varying Degrees 2025 survey and what the data really says about confidence, cost, and the changing needs of working learners. The headline: value and frustration now live side by side.
We dig into where Americans agree across party lines—purpose, value, and the importance of job training—while also highlighting what people expect beyond employment: critical thinking, communication, and civic readiness. Sophie explains how opinion has stayed surprisingly stable over nine years, even as support dips slightly on questions about return on investment. We connect the dots to affordability, student debt, and the programs that fail to deliver promised outcomes, then explore clear moves leaders can make to rebuild trust.
From UMGC and WGU to ASU and SNHU, we point to models delivering flexibility at scale: online-first design, competency-based pathways, credit for prior learning, and embedded student support. We talk about why the media spotlight on elite campuses distorts public perception and why local open-access institutions deserve a louder voice. With AI reshaping work and adults needing to upskill multiple times, states that act now on flexible, stackable, and transparent pathways will lead the talent race.
Ready to rethink what college looks like for working adults—and how we tell that story with evidence, not hype? Tap play, then share your take. Subscribe, leave a review, and pass this along to someone who cares about making higher education work better for more learners.
https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/reports/varying-degrees-2025-americans-find-common-ground-in-higher-education/
NewAmerica.org
Eloy@4leggedmedia.com
