College worth the cost, NJ residents say

A new Stockton poll suggests New Jerseyans believe college is worth the cost.

"What [people] are saying is that what college means to them is it is critical to the American Dream, to middle class aspirations, to moving forward in the prospects of America," said Darryl G. Greer, a senior fellow for the Higher Education Strategic Information and Governance project at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

Overall, Greer said, the poll also suggests residents believe college in the state is valuable but can be improved. He believes the state can lead the broader conversation on changing goals and structures of higher education.

"It appears to me the citizens are quite prepared for an honest conversation about shared responsibilities for paying for college, and what we all get out of it, and how it helps move their lives forward and the state's life forward. I think we are quite prepared for that," Greer said in an interview.

"The more we do this for ourselves, the more the nation will pay attention to the progress New Jersey makes, and I think we have a lot we can accomplish," he said.

Those who say college is still valuable — 90 percent of those polled with some college experience — cited better job prospects, increased quality of life, and a more expanded understanding of the world for graduates. Nine percent of respondents said college is not worth the cost, and 1 percent were unsure.

"People are saying, overwhelmingly, it's worth it because it leads to better jobs, a better life, better communities," Greer said in an interview.

The poll was conducted for the project by the Stockton Polling Institute. Researchers called 822 adults in the state on land line and cell phones from May 14 to 23 and from May 27 to June 1. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

Getting a better job was the most popular choice, at 31 percent, for a question asking what the most important outcome of college is in the long term. Improving quality of life was the second most popular choice, followed by gaining a broader understanding of the world.

Respondents said the state's colleges and universities — including private colleges, such as Princeton University — offer quality educations.

Those who had college experience said increased practical experience, better academic counseling and better career counseling would increase the value of their college experiences.

One of the poll's findings is that affordability and value still remain an issue. Less than half of respondents said colleges in New Jersey are "affordable" or "very affordable."

That helps explain why, while 86.4 percent respondents saw four-year colleges as the highest-quality educational experience, two-year community colleges are seen as providing the greatest value for the money.

The next step will be to take this poll data — and other studies, including a 2013 Stockton survey on college affordability — and use it to begin talking to lawmakers, Greer said.

"The poll is about moving higher education to a point that it … provide some leadership with an empirical base," Greer said. "Knowing what does the public think, how do we talk to the citizens we serve, how do we go to Trenton and talk to legislators, businessmen and women?"

"This is just the beginning," Greer said. "Now we have something to talk about."

— Jonathan Lai