Finally a majority of Americans think college isn't worth it

New Jersey is home to some of the most prestigious and well-known higher educational institutions. Princeton, Rutgers, Drew, Seton Hall and Monmouth Universities just to name a few.

Stevens Institute of Technology is the priciest in our state, but may give you the best value due to what they teach and the marketable skills you'll leave there with.

Aside from a few degrees that lead you on to a serious earning potential career like medicine, law or engineering, many people are finding many other degrees are worthless.

A new survey by the Wall Street Journal finds that a majority of Americans think a college degree isn't worth the outrageous amount of money it takes to earn one.

The overwhelming number of people in their 20s, 30s and 40s in this country that are saddled with crippling debt for their college education might be the reason why the tide has finally turned.

Plaza at Livingston campus at Rutgers University New Brunswick (Rutgers University)

College enrollment is down 15% from 2010 to 2021 according to the WSJ recent survey. The poll found that 56% of all Americans viewed getting a college degree as a bad investment, while only 42% of Americans see a degree as worth it.

Along with the young college graduates who struggle to buy homes, start families and move on with life as in previous generations, we face a dearth of people with any real skills.

Experienced tradespeople like plumbers, electricians, carpenters, technicians of all kinds are aging out without the numbers of younger skilled workers to replace them.

That's where the real solid investment is. Attend a trade school for a fraction of the cost of college and hit the ground running with an in-demand skill that pays real money.

The new WSJ poll reflects what we've been saying on the air for over twenty years. College is a great social experience for many and a big four-year fantasy fun fest that many end up paying for the next 30 years.

The pressure on parents is intense in their kid's junior and senior years. All of their friends and friends' parents talk about where their precious genius is going to college. Finally, the tide might be turning that you don't have to feel like a failure as a parent if your kid isn't going to some prestigious university or even a decent college.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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New Jersey high school graduation rates

The lists below show 4-year graduation rates for New Jersey public schools for the 2020-21 school year. The statewide graduation rate fell slightly, from 91% in 2019-20 to 90.6%.

The lists, which are sorted by county and include a separate list for charter schools, also include a second graduation rate, which excludes students whose special education IEPs allow them to qualify for diplomas despite not meeting typical coursework and attendance requirements.

Columns with an asterisk or 'N' indicate there was no data or it was suppressed to protect student privacy.

School aid for all New Jersey districts for 2022-23

The state Department of Education announced district-level school aid figures for the 2022-23 school year on Thursday, March 10, 2022. They're listed below, alphabetically by county. For additional details from the NJDOE, including specific categories of aid, click here.