Dumbing America Down: The Right wants us to think higher education has no value.

[KurtNYC]

3. Another article looked at the same poll and looked at reasons behind the differing opinions

Good graph here:
http://cdn-media.nationaljournal.com/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=33476&format=nj2013_8_columns_tiny

http://www.nationaljournal.com/next-america/education/why-minorities-are-more-optimistic-about-the-value-of-college-20131107

Other data shows that women are more likely than men to finish college because women are less opposed to going into major debt to do so. Taken overall, I think the poll and other data is showing that 1) the workplace is still perceived as highly discriminatory and favoring white males, and 2) therefore, students who are not white males perceive higher education as a way to help overcome the ongoing prejudices of the American workplace.

I think we have lost the over-arching vision that this country can be better in the future than it is today. Without that, there is a kind of piecemeal approach. College is now a piece of a puzzle that our kids have to put together -- the puzzle is how to be successful in this new economy.