Roughly 87% of people who live in Arizona have a high school degree, but only 30% of the people who live in this state have a four-year bachelor’s degree, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Additionally, though many Arizonans have a high school diploma, the state has some of the lowest graduation rates for both high school and college in the nation.
Some people, such as former university graduate Vanessa Mendez, blame the cost of attending university.
“I believe the cost of attending a university plays a big part,” Mendez said. “Money was an issue until I had to work in order to provide funds for schooling.”
The average cost for a public four-year college can be up to $30,000. Inflation in the economy and stagnant wages post-graduation have made people further reluctant to pursue university education. Furthermore, the average student loan debt in 2024 was $40,000.
“Higher education is so expensive that it requires a certain amount of privilege to attend most colleges and universities,” Natalie Levan, a high school teacher said. “I see many of my very capable students with big dreams have to forfeit their college acceptance because they simply cannot afford to go.”
Other times, a lack of guidance in high school or a lack of promotion of higher-education opportunities stops people from seeking a degree, as was also the case for Mendez.
“There wasn’t much guidance in high school that helped me determine if a university was the best choice or a community college,” she said.
Additionally, a lack of interest in school during high school and other parts of the K-12 curriculum make students lose interest in higher education.
“Many students see high school as a waste of their day-time hours if they don’t want to go to college,” Levan said. “They would rather end it early and start working than spend time studying subjects they feel are not important for their livelihood.”
The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic also played a major role in the low rate of Arizonians with a four year degree.
According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, there was a 2.5% decline in enrollment in fall of 2020. Now, half a decade later, things have slowly started to get back on track, but the disparity is still glaring. Despite 87% of Arizonians having a high school degree, it is at the bottom in the entire nation for education.
“I don’t believe it’s the fault of the students or the teachers,” Levan said. “In fact, the most frustrating part of being in education is that people who don’t work in education don’t understand how much the cost of living, culture, and government matter in our education system.”
Edited by Shi Bradley
