Is College Worth It? Depends on the Student Debt.

Rising college costs and student-loan debt approaching $2 trillion are continuing to fuel a perennial debate in higher education: Is college worth it?

The answer isn’t cut and dried, according to a study released on Thursday by the Pew Research Center. Whether or not student loans would be part of the equation made a difference.

According to the center’s research, just 22 percent of respondents said the cost of a four-year degree was worth it if a student had to take out loans to pay for it. Nearly half of all adults said college was worth the cost only if the education would be loan-free.

For 29 percent of respondents, college wasn’t worth the cost either way.

The center surveyed about 5,200 adults last year to gauge their views on the value of a college education. Pew researchers also analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau and a Federal Reserve survey to show how young workers, ages 25 to 34, have fared economically and in the labor market.

The Pew study is among several national surveys released recently on the public’s perception of higher education, including one by The Chronicle.

Here are more highlights from Pew’s research:

Only one in four adults thought a four-year degree was extremely or very important in order to get a well-paying job in today’s economy.

Young adults strongly believed that a degree was more important now than in years past.

Republicans were twice as likely as Democrats to say college wasn’t worth the cost.

Most Americans with at least a bachelor’s degree said their education was extremely or very useful.