Is college worth it? Google users in these 10 states are asking the most
Is college worth it? If you’ve found yourself asking that question, you’re not alone. As a matter of fact, Google searches for the query “Is college worth it?” have surged over the last nearly 20 years, according to an analysis by the education public-relations firm Cultural Currents Institute (CCI).
CCI looked at the “Is college worth it?” Google search prevalence since 2005. Since then, searches for the question surged 1,400% to hit an all-time peak on September 1, 2023.
A closer look at the term’s trend reveals that it seems to spike at specific times throughout the year, with summers seeing a dip in queries and the months of September and January—back-to-school time after summer and winter breaks—seeing spikes. Still, the Google Trends data is clear: Despite peaks and valleys, more people than ever are asking “Is college worth it?” But why?
CCI also looked at student loan data from the National Student Loan Data System from 2007 until 2023. During that time, the amount of student loan debt in America nearly tripled, from $516 billion in 2007 to $1.5 trillion in 2023. The average federal student loan debt a student has now reached $38,000.
But correlation doesn’t necessarily equal causation. And CCI also noted other factors besides the increasing student loan debt burden that may be responsible for people increasingly wondering if a college education is worth it. Among the other factors CCI cites is an evolving job landscape where skills and experience are increasingly valued over degrees; the ability to learn new skills in non-traditional education settings, such as via online courses and by viewing YouTube videos; the uncertainty about the relevance of a college education in a rapidly changing world; and more.
Another interesting note from CCI’s analysis is the geographical makeup of those questioning if college is worth it.
Despite a 2017 Pew Research survey that revealed 58% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said colleges and universities negatively affect the country while 72% of Democrats and Democratic leaners said colleges and universities positively affect the country, Google Trends data shows that seven of the 10 states with the highest search volume for the “Is college worth it?” query in the last three years were states where Democrat Joe Biden won in the 2020 presidential election. Those states most searching for whether college is worth it are:
CCI’s analysis comes just as federal student loan payments are set to begin again after being paused during the pandemic. A recent report from career platform Handshake revealed that student loans weigh heavily on the minds of Gen Z, with 70% of 2024 graduates saying student loans will impact which jobs they will pursue once they graduate.
For its analysis, CCI collected Google Trends data for the search term “Is College Worth It?” for all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia between January 2005 and September 2023.
(3)
