Amid recent debates over the freedom of higher education, rising student debt and shifting labor markets, the value of a college degree appears to be under attack. Public opinion continues to frame higher education as a financial gamble in which students pay hundreds of thousands of dollars now for the mere potential of higher earnings later. Most recently, the University’s Compact discussions — which included discussing a proposed five-year tuition freeze — also heightened focus on students’ financial responsibilities and burdens. In this context, the value of a higher education degree needs to be carefully examined.
Recently, The Cavalier Daily published an article on the value of a University college degree. While grounded in statistical analysis and presented with a perfectly objective lens, its premise relies almost exclusively on data and therefore omits lived experiences and the development of soft skills for which statistics cannot account. The article frames the value of higher education by drawing on the College Scorecard — an online tool managed by the U.S. Department of Education for comparing colleges by financial outcomes — and the conclusions of Preston Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. However, reducing education to short-term financial returns neglects and dismisses its broader dimensions — intellectual growth, social capital and adaptability.
The article includes other perspectives, such as student and professor testimonies, but ultimately focuses on Cooper’s ideals, which are strictly based on the College Scorecard and on how quickly graduates see a return on their tuition investment through financial earnings. For Cooper, majors that deliver the fastest return on investment are considered most valuable. That conclusion, while superficially logical, oversimplifies the value of higher education by overlooking the value of more holistic returns.
Even within its own framework of financial returns for college education, the data used from the College Scorecard is too narrow. The Scorecard typically measures earnings five to 10 years after graduation, which undervalues professions that require further study, such as law or medicine, or fields whose earnings curves are slow to climb. Treating earnings data as definitive, then, misses the fundamental benefits of educational pathways through flattening and undervaluing them, ignoring how outcomes unfold over time.
Moreover, a degree is not a stock. It cannot be treated or interpreted as one. Its worth cannot be captured by a short-term earnings snapshot because some of the most rewarding and successful careers develop along non-linear paths. And while the College Scorecard and Cooper break down majors to determine which is the most “worthy,” they miss the bigger picture — a major sets a direction, not the destination. Therefore, reducing education to an immediate payoff diminishes the broader intellectual and personal growth that defines a University experience.
Consider the University’s social capital, prestige and extensive alumni networks, each offering returns beyond just monetary value. One tool beyond the Scorecard that incorporates these softer benefits is the Princeton Review, a for-profit company that compiles and publishes quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback about university experiences. The Review ranks the University not only second for Best Value, but also ninth among public schools for Alumni Networks — scores that illustrate the balance between the University’s cost and opportunity. The Best Value category offers direct insight into the credentials and personal and professional dividends that come with being a graduate.
For example, programs such as the Hire Hoos program, supported by the Career Center, help rising fourth-years secure skill-building summer internships. These support systems and connections matter — strong networks aid job referrals, mentorships and placements — yet that data is not considered at all on the Scorecard. Instead, the Scorecard focuses solely on statistics such as graduation and retention rates, typical graduate earnings and overall education costs.
By failing to factor in these often-overlooked soft benefits of education, it is impossible for the College Scorecard and Cooper to determine the overall value of a degree. Beyond connections, consider ethical reasoning, effective communication and efficient team collaboration — invaluable skills that transcend a single major. While Cooper’s argument does not single out the University’s degree in general as unworthy, he still remains focused on only the economic metrics of degrees. At some point, metrics need to be evaluated, but the most important distinction is not overlooking softer benefits.
A third dimension is also often ignored — long-term adaptability. The postgraduate world is becoming increasingly AI-driven, quickly making technical and other skills obsolete. Computer science and math disciplines rank among the highest-earning majors in Scorecard data, yet these numbers capture only short-term value. In contrast, the ability to think critically, communicate, learn and adapt are skills that are increasingly sought after and impossible to automate. As a liberal arts institution, this is exactly where the University thrives. Courses that focus on intellectual flexibility and cross-disciplinary work create graduates who can navigate multiple different roles in the future, instead of being confined to one job.
When considering the value of a University degree, the focus must shift away from narrow metrics that solely focus on the immediate return on the investment. Such a framework overemphasizes monetary values and certain high-paying majors over the ability to flourish in lifelong careers, participate in civic leadership and adapt to disruption.The question cannot be whether a University degree will pay for itself in the decade after graduation. Instead, we need to consider whether it equips graduates with the networks, credibility, critical faculties and resilience to thrive through decades of change. By that measure, the cost of the University’s education is not just justified, but priceless.
Lucy Duttenhofer is an opinion columnist who writes about academics for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of The Cavalier Daily. Columns represent the views of the authors alone.
Read More
COHEN: Historic preservation should not come before affordable housing
By Ryan Cohen | 15 hours agoBy addressing the demand of University students — who often favor location above other factors in their housing search — this project would have also helped ease competition in nearby neighborhoods.
CLIPPINGER: Viewpoint diversity is not about free speech
By Grace Clippinger | YesterdayWe are witnessing, in real time, how external oversight can shape University governance, and we should pay special attention to the language being employed to this end.
EDITORIAL: Grassroots student efforts have brought new energy to Grounds
By Editorial Board | 3 days agoThis year’s protests and activism have underlined a new scope of student activism at the University — one that has brought together groups and individuals who might not typically partake in political advocacy.
