Discussions around the value of a college degree typically focus on initial job attainment, affordability, debt, return on investment and arguments about accessibility and entitlement, not on the profound worth of higher education and the significant doors it opens. Partisan attacks on course content and admissions policies distract from the real value: Beyond helping to develop essential vocational skills, college instills strong, ethical compasses in our next generation of leaders and skilled workers – character strengths and life assets that never diminish.

There is a tendency to take the many benefits and achievements our nation derives from a highly educated populace for granted, especially among the more than 60% of Americans who – through their own choice or because of financial or situational barriers – have not had the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree. There may even be resentment, frustration or anger. These perceptions are easily clouded by negative experiences, personal frustration, economic woes and family and peer group beliefs.

Recent Gallup research shows that belief in the importance of higher education has decreased. In a 2015 survey, key subgroups generally expressed “a great deal” of confidence in higher education. By 2018, this confidence had decreased among all groups, with the largest decline (17%) among Republicans. But that gap widened into a gulf in this year’s survey, dropping 20 points to just 19% among Republican respondents. Confidence among adults without a college degree and those aged 55 and older dropped almost as much.

However, this drop in confidence does not reflect reality: A recent Lumina Foundation and Gallup report titled “Education for What?” documents that workers with college degrees tend to earn $1 million or more than non-college-educated workers over the course of their lifetime. And while significant, that is only one benefit and fails to reflect the manifold other valuable contributions to society including research, educational leadership, personal and employment-related spending, innovation, charitable support and public service.

As usual, when gauging the value of a college degree, we are politically divided: Many Democrats lament the cost of education, while Republicans complain about colleges being hotbeds of “wokeism” and liberal thinking. Beyond the financial cost, sowing seeds of doubt about the value of a college education is not a new phenomenon; skeptics and those who profit from a less-educated populace, including certain industries and politicians, have long expressed doubt about its importance or need.

It makes sense to examine both the qualitative and the quantitative benefits and to ask: What worthwhile investments are inexpensive? We often spend substantial amounts of money with the hope for a longer-term benefit – whether that be quality-of-life changes, improvements on homes and businesses or myriad financial instruments. A good college education outperforms most of these investment opportunities.

What’s more, a college education does not depreciate. It is an essential investment in personal success, future prosperity and our nation’s best interests. Employers continue to primarily recruit workers with college degrees, especially in technology, research and science-based fields. Bachelor’s and advanced degrees are mandatory for well-paying vocations such as medicine, accounting, computer science, law, engineering, education and many others.

In addition to preparing students for critical jobs, college offers well-rounded life experiences. Whether pursuing the liberal arts or specific areas of study, colleges teach young adults to better understand the world around them and to develop the social and emotional skills they need to successfully play, work, compete and collaborate with others in the next stages of their lives.

What many naysayers fail to understand is that, in addition to providing excellent and desperately needed vocational and life skills, higher-education institutions are catalysts for positive change and form the bedrock of a more open-minded, informed society. The value of a college education lies not only in learning facts, data and processes, but in the development of critical thinking skills. We help develop minds capable of separating fact from fiction and able to use reliable information and logic to make decisions.

In today’s highly polarized political climate, manipulating reality has become common practice. That includes efforts to rewrite history and distort news and facts to satisfy religious, political or cultural biases – or for personal gain. An educated voter cannot be as easily swayed, and college can be an important path for accumulating such powerful knowledge.

When you consider the long-term return for individuals, the contributing societal rewards and the essential jobs that need to be filled, a college education is actually a bargain. And while efforts to help finance access to education, especially for marginalized populations, often fall far short of what this nation needs to ensure prosperity and continued economic growth, there are many different sources of financial aid out here.

Of course, a college education is not for everyone, but for those who seek to further their education or to work in an industry where a degree is vital, the value remains steadfast, especially now. An informed, well-educated electorate is critical to maintaining a healthy democracy and to ensuring we have the professionals necessary to maintain our country’s health, economy, government and welfare.