Soon after the 2008–9 financial crash tanked the economy, Americans’ unflagging faith in higher education started to falter. By 2011, more than half of college graduates were un- or underemployed. The economy rebounded and the conversation faded, only to be revived again by the epic fallout from the pandemic. This time, the college degree’s comeuppance has been more profound.
In 2019, Americans ranked “preparing for college” 10th on a survey conducted by Populace, a nonpartisan think tank, which asks respondents
