The Public Policy Institute of California explores whether the benefits of a college degree outweigh the costs. Although most California parents (71%) want their children to graduate from college with at least a bachelor’s degree, about seven in ten (69%) worry about being able to afford a college education. Sticker shock and an understandable reluctance to take on debt lead many students and parents alike to wonder if college will actually yield higher earnings, better jobs,

Nearly half of employers say most jobs at their organization require a college degree to be successful. Three-quarters say a degree will be as important or more important five years from now. About three-quarters prefer candidates with associate or bachelor’s degrees, even when the job does not formally require one.

To better understand how first-generation-to-college, low-income students are thinking about the value of college, CARA conducted research that found the vast majority of young people, roughly 75%, still aspire to go to college and want to earn a degree.