In today’s cultural moment, there are many conversations and media headlines questioning the value of a college degree.
The rising inflation rates in recent years have added cost pressures on many. Additionally, recent changes to federal financial aid have added uncertainty. And, amidst all this, emerging and constantly evolving technology like artificial intelligence is reshaping the job market.
Despite the headlines and negative conversations, this sentiment doesn’t match the reality many students are experiencing when they pursue and earn their degree. The data and real student experience prove it.
And that proof isn't limited to the numbers. ASU is actively adapting its curriculum to these changes to deliver value for students that lasts a lifetime, no matter their degree or how they earn it.
There’s another way to look at this question too: What does a degree make possible once you have it?
The answer to that question is much easier to decipher.
“A bachelor's degree remains incredibly valuable in the job market,” says Bethany Weigele, chief innovation officer at ASU EdPlus. “Regardless of the specific knowledge students acquire, a high-quality undergraduate education develops self-regulated learners—people who can manage their own learning, persist through challenges, think critically, and integrate ideas across disciplines. Those capabilities enable graduates to continue learning and adapting throughout their careers, which is essential in every field, especially as AI continues to rapidly reshape the nature of work.”
What the data actually says about the value of a degree
Many conversations that detract from the value of a college degree are often missing data. So, let’s dive into some of the evidence proving a degree is still worth it:
- According to the College Board's Education Pays 2026 report:
- Bachelor's degree holders earned a median of $81,800 in 2024, $31,200 (62%) more than high school graduates, and took home $22,200 more in after-tax income. The same report finds that the typical four-year graduate who enrolls at 18 and borrows to cover full tuition can expect to break even with high school peers by age 34.
- Bachelor's degree holders also have lower unemployment (2.6% vs. 4.3%) and lower poverty rates (4% vs. 13%) than high school graduates. They are also more likely to have employer-provided health insurance and retirement plans. The same research links more education to better health outcomes and higher civic engagement.
- According to Georgetown CEW's Falling Behind report, the U.S. needs 5.25 million additional workers with postsecondary training through 2032, and 4.5 million of them will need at least a bachelor's degree. Without major increases in degree attainment, 171 of 561 occupations analyzed will face shortages. The same report projects that 18.4 million experienced postsecondary workers will retire by 2032, while only 13.8 million younger workers with equivalent qualifications enter the workforce.
According to Deloitte's 2026 Higher Education Trends report, job and career prospects are the top reason students cite for going to college, outweighing the next-closest category, learning and knowledge, by nearly three times. - Despite declining institutional confidence, Lumina/Gallup's “College Reality Check” study finds that currently enrolled students report far more positive experiences. Roughly 9 in 10 students are confident their education will equip them with job-ready skills, and 75% of all graduates say their degree was “critical” or “important” to reaching their career goals. The same research finds nearly three in four adults without a degree, 73%, still say earning a credential is just as important today as it was 20 years ago. Yet only 25% believe most people can access a quality, affordable education, the lowest level recorded since 2022.
- According to New America's Varying Degrees survey, roughly 75% of Americans still call higher education a good investment even as satisfaction with the institution itself declines.
The skills AI can't replace, and how ASU builds them
Headlines warning that AI will eliminate entry-level jobs have pushed some people to question the value of their education. The clearer picture is that AI is changing how work gets done, augmenting human effort rather than replacing it outright.
That shift is exactly why ASU focuses on building the skills, often called soft skills, that help students succeed now and well into the future. The general studies curriculum all bachelor’s degree seekers must complete before graduation is designed to build abilities that outlast any single job or piece of technology.
Graduates leave ASU with critical thinking, human judgment and a range of skills built to handle a constantly changing world. The curriculum gives students room to step outside their discipline, navigate change and build the solutions employers need.
One field often written off as vulnerable to AI is the humanities. The assumption is that AI can quickly replicate this kind of work, but like every degree at ASU, these programs remain valuable and relevant today.
Students who earn these degrees build strong critical thinking and judgment skills that translate across nearly any field. Graduates of the humanities leave ready to adapt to change and bring a distinct perspective, one that helps solve hard problems, communicate complicated information, collaborate with peers and build a better future for themselves and their teams.
ASU EdPlus Chief Operating Officer Casey Evans has earned several degrees in the humanities, specifically in English, and she’s been able to build a robust career translating the skills she’s learned in humanities classrooms into the business world.
"Here's the thing the industry doesn’t tell you about a humanities degree: it doesn't prepare you for one job. It prepares you for every job you haven't had yet," Evans says. "Whether it's economic downturns or AI rewiring half the world overnight, what’s always carried me forward was the skills I learned in thinking clearly, reading a moment and communicating what I actually saw. That’s what I learned in humanities classrooms that is not always easily learned elsewhere."
How ASU is responding to rising costs and access concerns
ASU's mission is deeply tied to access. Our charter commits the university to expanding higher education for as many people as possible.
When it comes to delivering a return on investment when you earn your degree, the charter plays two important roles:
- A curriculum that adapts, no matter your major, so that students are both prepared to meet modern workforce needs and able to navigate change well into their future.
- Support systems that make it possible for students from any background to excel and earn a degree that supports their long-term goals.
Our faculty are experts in their field with industry experience. Curriculum for many of our degrees is closely designed with industry partners, so students are prepared for real-world roles.
ASU currently ranks No. 2 among public universities for employability, according to the Global Employability University Ranking and Survey, based on four years of data from 2023 to 2026, reflecting the practical, applicable skills students learn.
Our approach to education has had tangible benefits for the Arizona economy as well. In fiscal year 2023 alone, the university contributed $5.75 billion in gross product, $3.58 billion in labor income and 56,930 jobs supported statewide. Separately, more than 238,000 ASU graduates working in Arizona earned about $15 billion annually as of 2017, contributing more than $1 billion in state and local taxes.
But that just reflects the education students can earn. ASU also has robust support systems in place to ensure that all students can achieve these results while attending. For instance, no matter where they are studying, all online ASU students have access to:
- Teams of academic support professionals, from academic advisors who help you navigate school policy and processes to success coaches who provide advice for succeeding in your classes to 24/7 tutoring services.
- Financial aid advisors who can answer any question about paying for college as well as help you with navigating the student loan process, finding scholarships and identifying all the other ways to pay for college.
- Mental health and wellness resources, including professionals and wellbeing content to help you manage anxiety, stress, fitness and health. Plus, disability resources to create an accessible, inclusive and supportive learning environment.
- Military student services designed to support ASU military, veterans and spouses as they navigate education benefits, learning while deployed and more.
How an ASU degree pays off beyond the individual
ASU's community impact runs deep. The university partners with organizations that connect students to career paths while also benefiting the wider community.
Take the semiconductor industry. The U.S. semiconductor workforce is projected to grow to 460,000 by the end of the decade, up from about 345,000 today. That growth underpins ASU's partnership with TSMC, which covers student recruitment, faculty research and a fast-track training program for equipment technicians.
ASU has also built a healthcare alliance with Mayo Clinic since 2003. The partnership includes dual-degree programs, a joint nursing education program and more than 80 joint faculty appointments, along with shared research. It was originally formed to address Arizona's nursing shortage, using Mayo's practicing nurses as faculty.
These partnerships reflect ASU’s commitment to building a better society and world by graduating more learners who can directly improve their communities.
ASU's commitment to access, backed by proof, not a slogan
The case for a degree today isn't just about salary, though the pay is real. It also comes down to skills that outlast any one job and a return that reaches families and communities, not just individual graduates.
ASU's charter commits the university to measuring itself by who it includes and how they succeed. That mission is why access keeps showing up throughout this story: in aid that reaches students who need it, in rankings that reflect real outcomes and in partnerships that turn a degree into a rewarding career.