Despite Cost Concerns, Most Recent High-School Grads Say College Is Worth It

More than half of the students who graduated from high school in the Class of 2010 and went on to college say affording it has been challenging, and 56 percent of those who did not enroll in college cite its cost as a reason, according to a new report Still, 86 percent of the high-school graduates believe getting a college degree is worth it.

The report, “One Year Out: Findings From a National Survey Among Members of the High-School Graduating Class of 2010,” was conducted by Hart Research Associates for the College Board. The report, released on Tuesday, is based on a survey of a representative sample of 1,507 respondents who graduated from high school in 2010.

More than 80 percent of the respondents who had not enrolled in college indicated that they planned to complete a degree down the road, while about a third of such students said they had been able to find a good job with a high-school diploma.

And even as they face a tough job market, two-thirds of respondents were very or somewhat optimistic about the future prospects for their generation.