A new national poll finds a majority of Americans saying a four‑year college degree no longer justifies its cost. The sentiment adds pressure to colleges already facing enrollment declines and a tighter recruitment environment. A separate empirical analysis challenges the conventional narrative that tuition is the main driver of enrollment loss. Researchers Joshua Goodman and Joseph Wilkelmann report that most recent declines concentrated at community colleges were driven by stronger low‑end labor markets and program reclassification—not rising sticker prices. Their findings suggest that job availability, not only affordability, explains much of the enrollment shift. The combined evidence pressures higher‑education leaders to rethink recruitment strategies, financial aid targeting and workforce alignment, while trustees consider program portfolio adjustments to account for changing student incentives.