The key to making the case for higher education? Accepting it’s not for everyone.

In my previous role as creative director at a video production company, I directed a series of videos for a statewide vaccine campaign. In the course of that project, we spoke to doctors, parents and children and we also conducted thorough market research. That work led to a deep understanding of the concerns and beliefs of our target audience, which allowed us to create messaging strategies and talking points that resonated with them. 

Two things became clear during this project. First, that an accusatory approach was almost never effective. Doctors who shamed parents coming through their offices with unvaccinated kids caused them to dig their heels in further. Second, doctors who took a more nuanced and empathetic approach — acknowledging the concerns on both sides, acknowledging that parents both in favor of and opposed to vaccines were just trying to do the best thing for their kids, presenting the facts and letting the parents form their own conclusions — were the most effective.

Shaming and vilifying people who resist your point of view doesn’t win people over, and neither does framing your perspective as absolute and unassailable.

We would be well-served to keep this in mind in higher education.

The powers of nuance and uncertainty

In today’s heated discussions about the value of higher education and the value of a college degree, nuance, empathy and, indeed, reality, often takes a backseat to extreme positions. The debate typically boils down to two stark viewpoints: ‘College is a waste of money’ versus ‘College is absolutely necessary.’

Read: How to regain trust in higher ed

As higher education leaders, we naturally take the side of the latter and make cases in our content creation efforts about why we believe that to be true. To give any weight to the arguments on the other side would be to go against self-preservation. After all, if the value of higher education is in question, aren’t our jobs in question too?

“If one views college as a direct path to a career, it might not be the best investment. If one views college as being about more than just what happens after graduation, the opportunity might be the return on investment in itself.”

However, as Adam Grant explores in his recent book, “Think Again,” such polarization may be counterproductive. “Hearing an opposing opinion doesn’t necessarily motivate you to rethink your own stance; it makes it easier for you to stick to your guns… Presenting two extremes isn’t the solution; it’s part of the polarization problem.”

Grant’s book supports this notion, citing experiments that demonstrate increased persuasiveness when experts express uncertainty. This counterintuitive finding suggests that admitting complexity can actually enhance credibility and encourage audience engagement with the core arguments.

Say it out loud: College isn’t for everyone

Applying this principle to the debate about the value of going to college doesn’t mean conceding that higher education is worthless. Rather, it involves recognizing the multifaceted nature of the issue. 

College serves different purposes for different individuals. Some view it as a direct path to career advancement, while others see it as a unique period of personal growth and academic exploration.

Read: What the finance industry can teach higher ed about restoring trust

If one views college as a direct path to a career, a ‘Mickey Mouse degree’ (as many degrees regarded as worthless are being painted lately), it might not be the best investment. If one views college as being about more than just what happens after graduation, the opportunity to immerse themselves in studying what interests them while making lifelong friends and memories might be the return on investment in itself.

Colleges and universities would do well to embrace the fact that college is not for everyone and that not all of their offerings will have sky-high ROI.

This also allows them to speak more clearly about the cost of college education and the kinds of doors that college will open and the values that exist beyond ROI, tacitly acknowledging that college is expensive and won’t open every door in the universe, and clarifying the value and long-term opportunities that it does enable. 

As higher education institutions, we should be leaders in creating messaging that minimizes polarization, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s the most effective path forward. Organizations that stand on their soapbox about one extreme or the other may find that approach falling on deaf ears at best, and backfiring at worst.

Acknowledging that college isn’t the best next step for every single high school graduate in the country while staunchly advocating for the value of higher education, and being specific about how, why, and for whom it serves its purpose, will likely send a message that is both more trustworthy and persuasive.