A new survey shows Rhode Islanders have mixed views on the value of college, with most saying they regret taking on student loans but still believe higher education is the best option for young people immediately after graduating high school.
Globe Magazine and Emerson College Polling surveyed 6,000 adults across New England – 1,000 in each state – and the results were revealing: across the region, 46 percent said they believe a four-year college degree is worth the cost, while 44 percent said it’s not worth it.
You should read the full story here, and below are some Rhode Island-specific takeaways from the survey.
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🎓 On student loans, 55.6 percent of Rhode Islanders said they regret taking out student loans, while 44.4 percent said loans are worth the cost. More than 52 percent said they support using government funds to reduce or eliminate student loan debt, and 28.4 percent said they don’t support using taxpayer dollars to cut student loan debt.
🎓 The survey found that 47.8 percent of Rhode Islanders believe a four-year college degree is worth the cost, while 41.6 percent said a degree isn’t worth it. Still, 54.8 percent said they believe having a college degree is essential for getting a good job in the US.
🎓 More than 58 percent of Rhode Islanders believe that a two-year or four-year college is the best option for young people immediately after they graduate high school, while 22.8 percent favored a non-college training program and 11.8 percent said they should enter the workforce.
The bigger picture: this survey is one of the most in-depth polls on higher education that has been released in a long time, and it shows that while adults still believe a college degree is needed for good-paying jobs, adults are increasingly questioning the value of those college degrees (with cost being top of mind).The survey is chock full of other interesting tidbits, so check out the crosstabs here.
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This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
Dan McGowan can be reached at dan.mcgowan@globe.com. Follow him @danmcgowan.