NEW REPORT: Midwesterners See Value in Higher Education, Face Barriers to Pursuing a Degree
(Minneapolis, MN – October 13) A new report from the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC), in partnership with Gallup, examines how Midwestern adults without a college degree view the value, affordability, and accessibility of postsecondary education. The report offers insights into how these perceptions influence decisions about whether to pursue additional education after high school.
Midwest Postsecondary Education Values and Opportunities provides the first-ever comprehensive regional analysis of perceptions of higher education among Midwestern adults who have not yet earned a degree or credential. A regional data snapshot presents key findings in graph form.
Drawing on data from the 2025 Lumina Foundation-Gallup State of Higher Education Study, the report provides policymakers and higher education leaders with additional data to inform strategies for expanding educational opportunity and strengthening connections between postsecondary education and workforce needs.
“The report underscores that Midwestern residents continue to believe in the value of higher education and having a post-high school credential or degree that leads to a well-paying job,” says Susan Heegaard, President of MHEC. “Midwest states are already doing important work to address barriers related to postsecondary education and to support broader workforce priorities. This report provides additional insights into affordability, financial aid, and program flexibility that can help states build upon and strengthen postsecondary pathways that lead to a degree or credential.”
Key Findings
Midwestern adults continue to see higher education as valuable.
Among Midwestern adults who have not earned a college degree, 70 percent say earning a two- or four-year college degree is as important or more important to achieving a successful career today than it was 20 years ago. Most also view postsecondary education as an important pathway to career success, economic opportunity, and long-term prosperity.
Positive perceptions of postsecondary education do not always translate into enrollment and completion.
Most Midwestern adults without a degree believe that investing in a two- or four-year degree would be worthwhile and would pay off relatively quickly. Just over half of adults not currently enrolled have considered pursuing additional education in the past two years.
Affordability and flexibility can influence the decision to enroll.
Financial considerations, access to financial aid, program flexibility, and confidence that education will lead to meaningful career outcomes all play a role in adults’ perceptions and decisions about whether to pursue additional education.
The report unpacks perceptions of higher education among key subgroups in the region.
Most Midwestern adults who never enrolled in postsecondary education and those from rural communities believe associate and bachelor’s degrees are worth the investment. These value perceptions of postsecondary education hold across several other subgroups in the Midwest including sex, race/ethnicity, and age.
Survey Methods
Results are based on web surveys conducted Oct. 2–31, 2025, with 3,045 adults living in the 12 Midwest states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin) who participated in the 2025 Lumina Foundation-Gallup State of Higher Education Study, a national survey of more than 14,000 U.S. adults without a college degree. Respondents were between the ages of 18 and 59 and had a high school diploma or equivalent but not an associate or bachelor’s degree. The Midwest sample includes 1,269 adults currently enrolled in a certificate, industry certification, associate degree or bachelor’s degree program; 1,151 adults who previously enrolled in such a program but did not complete it; and 625 adults who have never enrolled in a postsecondary program.
Respondents were interviewed via Dynata’s nonprobability web-based panel. Results for the MHEC region were weighted to reflect the demographic distribution of adults aged 18 to 59 without a college degree within the region, using targets from the most recent American Community Survey.
In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
About MHEC
The Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC) brings together leaders from Midwestern states to strengthen postsecondary education, advance student success, and promote regional economic vitality. Its programs and initiatives save member states and students millions of dollars annually. MHEC research supports workforce readiness and efforts to improve the quality, accessibility, and affordability of postsecondary education.
About the Lumina Foundation-Gallup State of Higher Education Study
The Lumina Foundation-Gallup State of Higher Education Study examines Americans’ perceptions of higher education and their experiences and intentions related to pursuing postsecondary education. The 2025 study provides data on the attitudes and circumstances shaping adults’ decisions about whether to enroll in higher education.