A significant portion of the public is questioning the value of a college degree, with a recent NBC News poll indicating that only 33 percent of respondents believe it is worth pursuing. This sentiment is echoed by a Gallup survey that shows just 35 percent of Americans consider college to be "very important," a steep decline from 75 percent in 2010.
In early 2026, recent graduates aged 22 to 27 faced an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent, higher than the national average of 4.3 percent. This situation has contributed to a growing concern about the future of college education, particularly in light of the rising prominence of artificial intelligence, which many believe threatens the value of degrees.
Commencement speeches in 2026 have reflected these anxieties, with speakers like Eric Schmidt and Gloria Caulfield receiving backlash for referencing AI. However, humor has found a place, as evidenced by The Daily Show's Ronny Chieng at Harvard, whose remarks on AI were well-received due to their irreverent tone.