Higher ed is facing a 'giant reckoning' as blue-collar jobs prevail, Mike Rowe warns
Universities are seeing a decline in trust as more parents, students opt out of four-year college pathway
Mike Rowe points out ‘legacy problem’ in higher ed system: ‘Inflation is not limited to our economy’
MikeRoweWorks Foundation CEO Mike Rowe examines problems facing American families when paying for child care and considering higher education.
Skilled labor advocate Mike Rowe warned American higher education is facing a "giant reckoning" as more families reevaluate their choices when it comes to child care and degrees.
"I believe that we're seeing a giant reckoning, through the lens of PR, where parents are going to look at the cost of a four-year degree," Rowe said on "America's Newsroom" Tuesday.
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The cost of attending a college or university in the U.S. has drastically increased in recent years. Coupled with record-setting inflation and costly student loans, more parents and students are exploring alternatives to the four-year degree.
According to the Wall Street Journal, nearly 50% of parents say they will not send their child to a four-year university. Furthermore, two-thirds of high school students believe they would be fine without a college degree.
MikeRoweWorks Foundation CEO Mike Rowe comments on the problems facing higher education. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images / Fox News)
The former "Dirty Jobs" host attributed these changes to "inflation" in higher education, especially esteemed universities like Harvard.
"The inflation is not limited to our economy," he said. "There's a credential inflation. There's a grade inflation. There's a legacy problem over there."
"[Parents are] going to look at places like Harvard… Average GPA today at Harvard, 3.8. That was summa cum laude when we were in school. Back in 1955, that number was 2.55."
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Rowe also alluded to the university's recent scandal involving former president Claudine Gay.
"There's $51 billion in an endowment fund. We all just had a front-row seat to the Harvard Corporation working real hard to protect their president in the face of 50 plagiarism charges. So, you can't blame a parent for looking at all that and going, ‘yeah, maybe not that,’" Rowe said.
After receiving backlash for her comments in a congressional hearing on antisemitism on college campuses, it was discovered Gay was accused last October of plagiarizing several passages in published academic articles stretching back to the 1990s. Following the initial claims, other allegations of plagiarism were made against Gay in subsequent weeks.
The bottom is falling out of the perception market for a 4-year degree: Mike Rowe
TV host Mike Rowe discusses Americans' confidence in higher education on 'The Bottom Line.'
With more Americans turning away from traditional higher education, Rowe said other paths in skilled labor are becoming more desirable.
"Meanwhile, shameless plug, my foundation, on average, awards work ethic scholarships to the tune [of] eight or nine grand," Rowe added. "We're training welders and steamfitters and pipefitters and electricians and heating and air conditioning. Every day I talk to people who come through that path. They're making six figures. They have no debt."
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A number of well-known companies are reducing or even eliminating college degree requirements in light of the cultural shift surrounding higher education. Major names including Netflix, Google, Tesla and Bank of America are among those modifying job requirements.
"I know I'm a broken record on this, but as higher ed continues to get a little wobbly up there, these other paths are going to look shiny and new."
Fox News' Kyle Morris contributed to this report.