Among the 3,130 non-enrollees surveyed in 2023, 57% said a four-year degree is a good or excellent value, down from 60% in 2022. In comparison, 75% said earning a license is a good value, up from 70% the year before. Nearly the same share, 72% called professional certificates a good value, rising from 67% in the last survey. Convincing non-enrollees of the value of higher education will become increasingly important for colleges. Beginning next year, colleges are expecting a sharp drop in high school graduates as a result of declining birth rates during the Great Recession.
