BOSTON - BostonChron -- Lynn Bentley, President of Knobull reported, "One trend in America's culture is the declining value of higher education among young adults. Perhaps they've looked at the price tag of a college degree and realized the debt isn't worth the slight salary bump that diplomas statistically guarantee."

Whatever their reasoning, more than 56% no longer believe college is worth the cost, according to a new Wall Street Journal survey. That's a significant shift from 2013, when 53% of respondents were highly supportive of higher education and only 40% were not.

Enrollment statistics confirm this trend. College applications have declined steadily over the last decade, whereas interest in alternative paths, such as apprenticeships and trade schools, have sharply increased.

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This isn't to say college is always a bad idea or that higher education has lost all value. Indeed, education is a worthy pursuit and a good in and of itself when pursued correctly.

The problem in America's higher education system is that universities have largely abandoned the intent and purpose of education, to train young minds to better understand the world and their role in society.

Bentley concluded, "Students and young graduates can take steps to improve the ROI for higher education. Career Coaching works best for motivated individuals that are ready to get serious about their career issues without going it alone. Partnering with a Career Coach offers emotional support and practical guidance. Taking skill building courses provides a greater sense of accountability in doing the work necessary to achieve goals.

Both boost learning ROI. Studies have shown that an astute career strategy that creates a logical career path plan with continuous learning improves the value of higher education. That's the reason Knobull offers JobStars career coaching and edX career boosting courses on their homepage."