The number of students to attend university is higher in Gen Z compared to prior generations

Question

Gallup and Walton Family Foundation find Gen Z value college despite rising costs and declining adult confidence.

Answer 1

Yes, this is true. According to an August 4, 2024 survey by Statistica, 57% of Gen Z were enrolled in college in 2018 compared to 43% of Gen X in 1987. In the Gallup poll you linked, 87% of 12-15 year-olds, 80% of 16-18 year-olds, 85% of 19-21 year-olds, and 82% of 22-26 year-olds thought college to be very important. Within Gen Z, there is some nuance. More female members of Gen Z (87%) than male members of Gen Z (80%) say college is important. The Pew Research Center states that millennials are better educated than generations before, but a majority of Gen Z believe the digital landscape to be helpful in learning new skills. Affordability issues and barriers are still a persistent concern, however, making the decision of attending college a more difficult decision.

Answer 2

This claim is mostly true, it uses the source well and is backed by data and verifiable evidence. The article cites evidence that is traceable, for the data that they use to justify the claim that Gen z is saying this, and also for the evidence and further articles about college affordability and declining confidence in higher education. An attached article goes into the fact that more than 71% of non-college Americans believe that no more than half of Americans have access to quality higher education (https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/392366/few-say-quality-affordable-higher-widely-available.aspx). Most doubt the accessibility of higher education, despite a widespread recognition of its importance in gaining valuable job experience. This, alongside Americans' confidence in graduate school as a possibility, is what makes Gen z’s found value in college most interesting. The attached article about adult confidence uses data ranging across ages, political parties, gender, and education, presenting very interesting evidence regarding declining adult confidence that provides solid context for the argument at hand (https://news.gallup.com/poll/508352/americans-confidence-higher-education-down-sharply.aspx). It is pointed out that older ages in gen z are less likely to place the same importance in college as younger ages do, which I think could be added to this claim for a more accurate and specific idea, alongside the demographics that the article details as the ones that believe in education the most. The article also later specifies that younger ages feel pressure from their parents to attend college, which may heavily impact the results of this data and undermine the basis of this claim. It also says that these perceptions of price and confidence are intense contingents of gen z participation in higher education, and there is increasingly declining enrollment and stagnant graduation rates in the “Implications” section of the article. So while data shows much of Gen z believes college is important, the concerns surrounding costs are much more present in the reality of higher education participation. So this claim, that gen z values college despite rising prices and dropping confidence is true and backed by data and studies, but may not be an accurate reflection of active participation and value in secondary education.