Why do working class whites see college as a ‘risky gamble?’

A majority of working-class whites think college is a “risky gamble,” according to a new survey, reports the Houston Chronicle. Only 44 percent of whites said getting a college education is a smart investment, while 54 percent said college may not pay off, the PRRI/Atlantic analysis found.

Blacks and Latinos strongly believe going to college is worthwhile, the survey reported. Overall, 55 percent of Americans called getting a college education a smart investment.

In a survey of Houstonians by Rice’s Kinder Institute, a majority of Trump voters and a third of Clinton voters said “there are many ways to succeed in today’s economy with no more than a high school diploma,” reports the Chronicle. “Black and Hispanic respondents were more likely than white respondents to say that education beyond high school is necessary.”

 

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Joanne Jacobs

Joanne Jacobs

Joanne was born in Chicago and named after her grandfather, Joe Jacobs, who’d been a police reporter for the Omaha Bee-News. At the age of eight, she and her best friend became the creators and co-editors-in-chief of "The Wednesday Report" for four years. After years as a San Jose Mercury News columnist, Joanne started an education blog in 2001 and wrote "Our School: The Inspiring Story of Two Teachers, One Big Idea and the Charter School That Beat the Odds." She freelances for online sites, newspapers, magazines, foundations and think tanks. In addition to blogging at joannejacobs.com, Joanne writes Community College Spotlight at ccspotlight.org.
Joanne Jacobs

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