The college dream has failed

The college dream has failed

From The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

May 15, 2026 · 48 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the declining economic prospects for college graduates and its impact on American politics.

College was supposed to be a ticket to a better life. A degree meant a good job, a decent salary, and a brighter future. That promise is breaking down. For many graduates, a college degree no longer guarantees economic security or upward mobility. In today’s episode, guest host Miles Bryan talks with reporter and author Noam Scheiber about his new book, Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class, which argues that the economic prospects for college graduates have steadily eroded since the mid-2000s. The result is scrambling our politics. Miles and Noam discuss why college graduates are increasingly drawn to socialist politicians like Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani, why they’ve become some of the strongest supporters of organized labor, and how economic frustration among educated workers could transform the American political landscape. Host: Miles Bryan, Vox reporter and senior producer Guest: Noam Scheiber, New York Times reporter and author of Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working ClassWe would love to hear from you. To tell us what you thought of this episode, email us at thegrayarea@vox.com or leave us a voicemail at…

People in this episode

Host: Miles Bryan

Guest: Noam Scheiber

Topics covered

  • college education
  • economic security
  • political landscape
  • socialism
  • organized labor
  • working class

Keywords

  • college dream
  • economic prospects
  • upward mobility
  • socialist politicians
  • organized labor
  • political transformation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Vox, New York Times

Books & works: Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class

More episodes of The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Gray Area with Sean Illing podcast page.