N.J. poll finds 45 percent believe in value of college education

The latest Fairleigh Dickinson PublicMind poll finds New Jersey residents are divided on whether getting a college degree is worth the investment.

Poll director Krista Jenkins said 45 percent of New Jersey voters surveyed believe that the cost of a college degree is justified by the value society places on the accomplishment. But 43 percent say it’s no longer worth the declining value of a degree.

“Women are more likely to believe that a college education retains its value,” she said. “Interestingly, people without a college degree, either who have maybe some years of college under their belt or just a high school degree, these are the folks who are the most likely to believe that it is no longer worth it.”

About a third of voters blame the excesses of those running the colleges for rising tuition costs, Jenkins said. They believe it’s the result of things like fiscal mismanagement and overpaid administrators.

They aren’t critical of the costs of college sports, however. About two-thirds of voters say those programs are beneficial for revenue and school pride.