How the Survey was Conducted Nature of the Sample: Exclusive Point Taken-Marist Poll of 572 This survey of 572 adults was conducted April 14 th 2016 by The Marist Poll sponsored and funded in partnership WGBH s Point Taken. 18 years of age and older residing in the contiguous United States were contacted on landline or mobile numbers and interviewed in English by telephone using live interviewers. Landline telephone numbers were randomly selected based upon a list of telephone exchanges from throughout the nation from ASDE Survey Sampler, Inc. The exchanges were selected to ensure that each region was represented in proportion to its population. Respondents in the household were randomly selected by first asking for the youngest male. This landline sample was combined respondents reached through random dialing of cell phone numbers from Survey Sampling International. Assistance was provided by Luce Research for data collection. After the interviews were completed, the two samples were combined and balanced to reflect the 2013 American Community Survey 1-year estimates for age, gender, income, race, and region. Each percentage point represents 3.2 million people including children or 2.4 million adults 18 years of age and older. Results are statistically significant in ±4.1 percentage points. The error margin was not adjusted for sample weights and increases for crosstabulations.
Gender Age Age Race Region Household Income Education Interview Type Nature of the Sample Col % 100% 83% 34% 29% 36% Other 2% liberal 7% 18% 36% Conservative 28% 10% Men 49% Women 51% Under 45 47% 45 or older 53% 18 to 29 22% 30 to 44 25% 45 to 59 26% 60 or older 26% 31% 25% 30% 14% White 62% African American 11% Latino 14% Other 12% Northeast 18% Midwest 22% South 37% West 23% Less than $50,000 48% $50,000 or more 52% Not college graduate 62% College graduate 38% 28% Landline 39% Cell phone 61% Exclusive Point Taken-Marist Poll. Interviews conducted April 14th, 2016, n=572 MOE +/- 4.1 percentage points. Totals may not add to 100% due to rounding. Exlusive Point Taken-Marist Poll 1
How to Read Banners Banners are a simple way to display tabular data. The following provides an explanation of how to read the banners. 1. Thinking of the entire table as a grid of cells, each cell contains a number. This number gives the percentage of respondents in a column in each cell. 2. Columns read vertically down the page. 3. The table headings present the people, or subgroup, each column represents. They are each noted a letter. 4. The remaining rows present the column percentages for each valid response category to a question. 5. The banners include notations for statistical significance testing between columns. Each column is labeled letters. If a letter is below a percent, it notes that this percent is statistically different from the percent of the lettered column. For example in the table below, the 44% in column B is statistically different from the 32% in column C. 6. Please note totals may not add to 100% due to rounding. Exlusive Point Taken-Marist Poll 2
Table of contents Banner 2:,,,, Table B5160414PT Table BM160414PT Table B1A160414PT Table B1B160414PT Is college worth the price tag, or not? Which comes closer to your view: A college degree is a key to future success or A college degree is not worth the cost? Do you agree or disagree the following statement: The need for a college degree is what the need for a high school degree used to be for an earlier generation? Do you agree or disagree the following statement: A person will earn more money if they learn a trade or skill rather than going to college? Table B1C160414PT Table B1D160414PT Table B1E160414PT Table B3160414PT Table B4160414PT Table B6160414PT Do you agree or disagree the following statement: The cost of a college degree is out of reach for most American families? Do you agree or disagree the following statement: The type of jobs a person can get out a college degree are very limited? Do you agree or disagree the following statement: The growth and experience of a college education is worth the cost? Do you think your life would be better, worse or no different if you did not have a college education? Do you think your life would be better, worse or no different if you had a four-year college degree? Which comes closer to your view: The cost of a college education is worth the risk because of the potential for future earnings and career opportunities or The cost of a college education is not worth the risk because of the amount of debt students will take on? Exlusive Point Taken-Marist Poll 3
Table B5160414PT Is college worth the price tag, or not? ====== -- - --- Yes 55% 62% 51% 54% 54% 51% 55% 68% 49% 50% 69% 49% 55% IJ LM No 38% 32% 43% 40% 34% 38% 38% 26% 44% 43% 27% 42% 39% b H H K K Unsure 7% 6% 6% 6% 12% 11% 7% 7% 7% 7% 4% 9% 7% cd Chi-Square <---------9.049------- - <--------- ----14.004-- > <-11.677--- > Significance 83% 99% 98% === Exlusive Point Taken-Marist Poll 4
Table BM160414PT Which comes closer to your view: A college degree is a key to future success or A college degree is not worth the cost? ====== === -- - --- A college degree is a 77% 78% 79% 75% 74% 81% 78% 85% 74% 76% 82% 76% 79% key to future success Ij A college degree is not worth the cost 20% 21% 18% 22% 19% 19% 19% 12% 24% 21% 15% 22% 18% H H Unsure 3% 1% 3% 3% 8% 0% 3% 3% 2% 3% 3% 2% 3% Bd Chi-Square <---------9.366------- - <--------- ----7.385--- > <--------- --2.596---- > Significance 85% 88%* 37%* "*" Denotes Chi-Square where at least one cell has an expected value of less than 1 or more than 20% of the cells have an expected value of less than 5. Exlusive Point Taken-Marist Poll 5
Table B1A160414PT Do you agree or disagree the following statement: The need for a college degree is what the need for a high school degree used to be for an earlier generation? ====== -- - --- Agree 77% 82% 77% 73% 71% 76% 76% 84% 69% 78% 86% 76% 71% de I i lm Disagree 19% 15% 19% 23% 18% 23% 19% 13% 25% 18% 13% 19% 23% H K Unsure 4% 2% 4% 4% 11% 1% 5% 3% 6% 4% 1% 5% 6% BCD k Chi-Square <---------12.794------ - <--------- ----9.551--- > <--------- --9.552---- > Significance 95% 95% 95% === Exlusive Point Taken-Marist Poll 6
Table B1B160414PT Do you agree or disagree the following statement: A person will earn more money if they learn a trade or skill rather than going to college? ====== -- - --- Agree 42% 32% 47% 45% 45% 42% 42% 29% 47% 47% 34% 45% 44% B B B H H Disagree 46% 56% 44% 42% 44% 48% 45% 57% 45% 38% 52% 43% 45% De ij Unsure 12% 13% 9% 13% 11% 10% 12% 14% 8% 15% 14% 12% 11% i Chi-Square <---------11.154------ - <--------- ----17.903-- > <--------- --4.054---- > Significance 92% 100% 60% === Exlusive Point Taken-Marist Poll 7
Table B1C160414PT Do you agree or disagree the following statement: The cost of a college degree is out of reach for most American families? ====== -- - --- Agree 75% 67% 79% 76% 82% 71% 75% 80% 71% 75% 83% 73% 72% b B lm Disagree 23% 30% 20% 23% 13% 26% 22% 19% 26% 22% 17% 25% 25% ce E k Unsure 2% 3% 1% 2% 5% 3% 2% 1% 3% 2% 0% 2% 3% Chi-Square <---------13.412------ - <--------- ----2.944--- > <---6.67---- > Significance 96%* 43%* 85%* "*" Denotes Chi-Square where at least one cell has an expected value of less than 1 or more than 20% of the cells have an expected value of less than 5. === Exlusive Point Taken-Marist Poll 8
Table B1D160414PT Do you agree or disagree the following statement: The type of jobs a person can get out a college degree are very limited? ====== -- - --- Agree 60% 65% 60% 55% 60% 60% 60% 71% 52% 56% 76% 54% 56% IJ LM Disagree 38% 34% 40% 42% 37% 39% 38% 26% 46% 43% 23% 43% 43% H H K K Unsure 2% 2% 0% 3% 3% 1% 2% 3% 2% 2% 1% 2% 2% Chi-Square <---------5.916------- - <--------- ----13.931-- > <--------- --15.91---- > Significance 57%* 99%* 100%* "*" Denotes Chi-Square where at least one cell has an expected value of less than 1 or more than 20% of the cells have an expected value of less than 5. === Exlusive Point Taken-Marist Poll 9
Table B1E160414PT Do you agree or disagree the following statement: The growth and experience of a college education is worth the cost? ====== -- - --- Agree 67% 73% 69% 62% 60% 70% 67% 77% 60% 67% 75% 68% 63% DE Ij M Disagree 28% 23% 28% 32% 31% 25% 27% 21% 34% 27% 24% 25% 31% b H Unsure 5% 4% 3% 6% 9% 5% 5% 2% 6% 6% 1% 7% 6% C K K Chi-Square <---------9.775------- - <--------- ----10.904-- > <--------- --9.705---- > Significance 87% 97% 95% === Exlusive Point Taken-Marist Poll 10
Table B3160414PT Do you think your life would be better, worse or no different if you did not have a college education? ====== === -- - --- Asked of those a 4-year college degree Better 4% * 1% * * 6% 5% 1% * * * 4% * Worse No different 78% * 80% * * 75% 78% 90% * * * 76% * 15% * 17% * * 19% 14% 8% * * * 15% * Unsure 3% * 2% * * - 3% 1% * * * 4% * Chi-Square <---------16.023------ - <--------- ----13.127-- > <----4.5----- > Significance 93%* 96%* 39%* "*" Denotes Chi-Square where at least one cell has an expected value of less than 1 or more than 20% of the cells have an expected value of less than 5. *Sample size too small for analysis Exlusive Point Taken-Marist Poll 11
Table B4160414PT Do you think your life would be better, worse or no different if you had a four-year college degree? -- - --- Asked of those out a 4-year college degree Better 44% 59% 36% 43% * 39% 42% 48% * 47% * 46% 35% CD Worse 4% 3% 7% 5% * 6% 4% 1% * 6% * 2% 4% No different 48% 32% 56% 50% * 51% 51% 48% * 43% * 49% 58% B B Unsure 4% 6% 1% 2% * 3% 3% 2% * 4% * 3% 2% Chi-Square <--------- - 24.7------- - <--------- ----14.329-- > <--------- --5.427---- > Significance 1 00%* 97%* 51%* "*" Denotes Chi-Square where at least one cell has an expected value of less than 1 or more than 20% of the cells have an expected value of less than 5. *Sample size too small for analysis ====== === Exlusive Point Taken-Marist Poll 12
Table B6160414PT Which comes closer to your view: The cost of a college education is worth the risk because of the potential for future earnings and career opportunities or The cost of a college education is not worth the risk because of the amount of debt students will take on? -- - --- The cost of a college 65% 72% 64% 61% 58% 65% 65% 77% 61% 58% 78% 64% 58% education is worth the de IJ LM risk because of the potential for future earnings and career opportunities The cost of a college education is not worth the risk because of the amount of debt students will take on ====== === 29% 21% 33% 33% 30% 30% 29% 18% 31% 35% 19% 29% 35% b B H H k K Unsure 6% 7% 3% 6% 12% 5% 6% 5% 7% 7% 3% 6% 7% CD Chi-Square <---------15.256------ - <--------- ----14.309-- > <-11.953--- > Significance 98% 99% 98% Exlusive Point Taken-Marist Poll 13