One Degree of Separation How Young Americans Who Don’t Finish College See Their Chances for Success

In high school, the vast majority of young Americans say they want to go to college, but in the end, only 4 in 10 earn a credential by the time they are 35.1 That’s a problem for the young people themselves—workers without credentials beyond high school earn less and are more likely to be unemployed.2 It’s also a problem for the country as a whole. Policymakers in business, government, and education say the United States needs more college-educated workers to remain internationally competitive.3 President Obama, for one, has recommended that all students complete at least one year of education beyond high school.