For years, headlines have amplified the skepticism surrounding higher education in America: Spiraling costs, questions of return on investment, and an increasingly politicized narrative around what colleges stand for. But ask parents directly what they want for their children, and the answer cuts through the noise.
A recent Gallup–Lumina Foundation survey, conducted in June, finds that six in ten U.S. parents hope their child will pursue a two- or four-year college degree after high school. Despite all the cultural wars and public hand-wringing, the pull of college, especially the four-year degree, remains strong.
Four-year degree still leads According to the survey, 40% of parents want their child to attend a four-year college or university, making it the single most popular choice for life after high school. Another 19% favor community college, reflecting the appeal of a cheaper, job-focused pathway. Combined, that’s nearly two-thirds of American parents envisioning higher education as the next step.
That finding is especially striking given the backdrop: Confidence in U.S. higher education has steadily declined over the past decade, as Gallup polling has shown. Yet when it comes to their own children, parents’ aspirations resist the broader skepticism.
As Courtney Brown, vice president of impact and planning at Lumina Foundation, told EdSource: “When it comes down to it, it’s pretty clear that parents hope their children get a college degree.”
Politics divides the path The data also reveal a sharp partisan divide. 53% of Democrats want their child in a four-year college, compared to just 27% of Republicans. GOP parents lean more heavily toward alternatives: 22% say job training or certification is the better route, and 10% prefer their child go directly into the workforce.
Among independents, preferences land in between, with 40% supporting a four-year degree.
Educational background further widens the gap: 58% of college-educated parents favor a four-year degree, versus 30% of parents without a degree.
Beyond cost, concerns about politics Brown noted that while parents do value higher education, their concerns are clear: Affordability, job outcomes, and increasingly, politics. Community colleges’ lower sticker prices and stronger vocational emphasis help explain their steady popularity across groups. Roughly 1 in 5 parents say they’d like to see their child enroll in a two-year college.
But the bigger story is resilience. Even amid cultural polarization, even as politicians cast doubt on the value of higher education, American parents are not ready to walk away from the college dream.
As Brown put it to EdSource: “We see that people value four-year degrees. We see that people have trouble accessing it and have some concerns about the system, but they do greatly value it.”
The bottom line The U.S. higher education debate has never been louder. But strip away the headlines, and the data suggest something quieter, more enduring: most parents still see college, in one form or another, as the surest path forward.
Even as public trust dips, the personal stakes remain high. For many families, college still represents security, mobility, and opportunity — things parents are rarely willing to compromise on. And that, perhaps, is the clearest reminder that the value of higher education is not just an abstract policy issue, but a deeply personal choice that continues to shape America’s future.
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A recent Gallup–Lumina Foundation survey, conducted in June, finds that six in ten U.S. parents hope their child will pursue a two- or four-year college degree after high school. Despite all the cultural wars and public hand-wringing, the pull of college, especially the four-year degree, remains strong.
Four-year degree still leads According to the survey, 40% of parents want their child to attend a four-year college or university, making it the single most popular choice for life after high school. Another 19% favor community college, reflecting the appeal of a cheaper, job-focused pathway. Combined, that’s nearly two-thirds of American parents envisioning higher education as the next step.
That finding is especially striking given the backdrop: Confidence in U.S. higher education has steadily declined over the past decade, as Gallup polling has shown. Yet when it comes to their own children, parents’ aspirations resist the broader skepticism.
As Courtney Brown, vice president of impact and planning at Lumina Foundation, told EdSource: “When it comes down to it, it’s pretty clear that parents hope their children get a college degree.”
Politics divides the path The data also reveal a sharp partisan divide. 53% of Democrats want their child in a four-year college, compared to just 27% of Republicans. GOP parents lean more heavily toward alternatives: 22% say job training or certification is the better route, and 10% prefer their child go directly into the workforce.
Among independents, preferences land in between, with 40% supporting a four-year degree.
Educational background further widens the gap: 58% of college-educated parents favor a four-year degree, versus 30% of parents without a degree.
Beyond cost, concerns about politics Brown noted that while parents do value higher education, their concerns are clear: Affordability, job outcomes, and increasingly, politics. Community colleges’ lower sticker prices and stronger vocational emphasis help explain their steady popularity across groups. Roughly 1 in 5 parents say they’d like to see their child enroll in a two-year college.
But the bigger story is resilience. Even amid cultural polarization, even as politicians cast doubt on the value of higher education, American parents are not ready to walk away from the college dream.
As Brown put it to EdSource: “We see that people value four-year degrees. We see that people have trouble accessing it and have some concerns about the system, but they do greatly value it.”
The bottom line The U.S. higher education debate has never been louder. But strip away the headlines, and the data suggest something quieter, more enduring: most parents still see college, in one form or another, as the surest path forward.
Even as public trust dips, the personal stakes remain high. For many families, college still represents security, mobility, and opportunity — things parents are rarely willing to compromise on. And that, perhaps, is the clearest reminder that the value of higher education is not just an abstract policy issue, but a deeply personal choice that continues to shape America’s future.
TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here.
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