Ninety percent of New Jerseyans who have attended college think it is worth the investment according to a recent poll conducted by the Stockton Polling Institute.

College Graduation
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Thirty-one percent of those polled said getting a college education help them land a better job, and 27 percent said it improved their quality of life.  Despite the value many think college gives them, they also feel there is room for improvement.

"They have specific ideas about what students and colleges need to do to increase value - principally, to partner with business to create more practical in-college experiences, such as internships," said Darryl Greer, a senior fellow for Higher Education Strategic Information and Governance at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, in an emailed press release June 10.

He said the public continues to be extremely concerned about the rising cost of college, but they recognize there's a shared responsibility when it comes to improving the college experience.

"One of the top responses was citizens said we need to study harder and be more cognoscente of the academic choices we make," Greer said.

The poll also asked people why they attended the college they did.

"The number one reason was location, followed by program offering, price and quality. This confirms why 80 percent of people attend college locally and regionally.  This helps us understand what people want, and what's important to them," Greer said.

Eighty percent of respondents think New Jersey's colleges and universities are of high value, and they especially see the 4-year colleges as being high quality institutions.

Over 800 New Jersey adults were polled from May 14 through May 23, and again from May 27 through June 1 for the Higher Education Strategic Information and Governance project by the Stockton Polling Institute.  The poll numbers were released on June 10.

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