Whatever research may suggest, recent college graduates apparently do not believe the debt from student loans, which have become a necessity for many students, is worth a degree.

According to The Washington Post, 38 percent of respondents to the 2015 Gallup-Purdue Index said they "strongly agree" that their college degree was worth the cost. Gallup and Purdue University's respondents consisted of 30,000 people who graduated college within the last 10 years.

With the nation's collective level of student loan debt rising as tuition rises, value has become a primary focus in the college selection process. Students are not only looking to maximize what they get in an education, but they are also considering their post-graduation prospects before even enrolling.

As such, the federal government is considering legislation to make the transition from college to the workforce easier. President Obama has either backed or designed programs to make community college free for qualified students and to improve transparency in national rankings for federally funded schools.

The poll also looked at how much student loan debt students are leaving college with, and found about a third do so with at least $25,000 accumulated, U.S. News reported. However, for black, Hispanic, and first-generation college students, that percentage rose, as did their average debt.

"Amid the heated debate about the costs and benefits of higher education in the U.S., and the finding that recent graduates are less likely to believe their education was worth the cost, the Gallup-Purdue Index brings some positive news: Higher education leaders and other stakeholders have opportunities to increase their university's value to undergraduates," Steve Crabtree and Sean Seymour wrote for Gallup.com. "They can do this by focusing on factors that help students make the most of their college years. Key among these factors are relationships with people who can help students stay fully engaged in their education and focused on the future it will help them achieve. In particular, faculty and other mentors can foster these student goals."

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