September 22, 2025
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February 29, 2024
January 29, 2024
As public confidence in higher education has declined, Americans have become less sanguine about the bachelor’s degree and skeptical of its potential return on investment. Nonetheless, four-year degrees continue to be associated with significant economic and noneconomic benefits for individuals and communities. Predominant narratives about the bachelor’s degree—that say either “BAs for everyone!” or “Don’t bother with college”—are misguided because they lack important nuance.