There are some contradictions in the public's thinking about the necessity of a college education. Two-thirds of the public says it's possible to be successful in the work world without a college education and nearly half say there are too many students in college who don't belong there. Yet six in 10 parents say they consider going to college "absolutely necessary" for their own child. Minority parents are even more likely to value a college degree than the general public. Nearly two-thirds of Hispanic parents and almost half of African American parents consider a college education "the one thing that can most help a young person succeed," compared to about a third of white parents and the general public.