Why Are Americans Losing Confidence in Higher Ed?

A new Gallup survey says confidence in higher education has reached an all-time low. While that may not be surprising given how polls on this question have been trending, it’s certainly troubling for America’s colleges and universities.

Why have Americans become so disillusioned with higher education, and what, if anything, can be done to restore their faith?

According to Gallup’s new data, a growing number of U.S. adults said they have little or no confidence in higher education. Specifically, 32% offered that opinion, while an equal percentage said they have some confidence. Only 36% said they have quite a lot of confidence in colleges and universities.

Negative perceptions continue to increase. In last year’s survey, 40% said they have some confidence. The percentage of respondents saying they had very little or no confidence in higher education grew from 22% to 32% in one year.

Nine years ago, when Gallup began this survey, 57% of respondents had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence, while only 10% had little or no confidence. One-third said they had some.

In less than a decade, the percentage of Americans who hold colleges in high esteem has dropped by about 37%.

And it has fallen across the board. Republicans have the least amount of faith in higher education, with only 20% saying they’re confident and half saying they have little or no confidence. In 2015, those figures were almost the opposite: 56% were confident, and 11% weren’t.

Among Democrats, favorable opinions of higher education have declined from 68% to 56% during that stretch. Independents demonstrate a similar trajectory, down from 48% in 2015 to 35% today.

Overall, the study shows, 68% of Americans said higher education is headed in the wrong direction.

What’s causing this drop in confidence in America’s colleges? Respondents cited problems such as pushing political agendas and not teaching the right skills students need. Two in five said colleges are too liberal and attempt to indoctrinate or brainwash students.

Interestingly, only 28% of those who hold unfavorable opinions cited high tuition as a problem.

Perhaps most troubling, only 40% of young adults said American higher education is headed in the right direction.

In a related poll conducted at the same time, Gallup found that Americans have more faith in community colleges than in four-year institutions.

Almost half of respondents (48%) said they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in two-year schools, compared to 33% for four-year colleges and universities. While only 18% of Americans said four-year colleges are worth the cost, 55% believe community colleges are a good investment.

They also have greater confidence in the ability of community colleges to deliver a high-quality student experience.

Respondents across all three political affiliations expressed greater confidence in community colleges. Among Republicans, 36% said they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in two-year schools, compared to 15% for four-year colleges. Democrats (67% vs. 58%) and independents (46% vs. 30%) held similar opinions.

In fact, community colleges outperformed four-year schools on every measure in the survey, which explored issues such as student safety, job preparation, and respect for different points of view.

Gallup concludes that overall confidence in the higher education industry remains at a record low, while the percentage of Americans with very little confidence in higher education is at an all-time high. Lower confidence ratings in four-year institutions and concerns about the cost and value of the degrees they provide may partially explain these declining ratings in the higher education industry in general.

That conclusion rightly points to cost as a driving factor behind Americans’ lack of faith in higher education. Tuition has increased at an alarming rate, putting a college education well beyond the reach of many families.

But that’s only part of the problem.

Americans are fed a daily diet of negative press concerning higher education. We see stories about graduates suffering from massive student debt and read about failed attempts to erase a good portion of it.

We’re kept apprised of nationwide enrollment declines and demographic cliffs promising to make life far more challenging for colleges and universities.

Each week, it seems, another college closes, citing dwindling student interest and an unsustainable financial model built on ever-increasing tuition discounts.

Meanwhile, the value of a bachelor’s degree remains in question. Several major companies and state governments no longer require that credential for many jobs. Young people are increasingly drawn to cheaper, faster, more convenient alternatives that pay off in the marketplace.

An obsession with elite universities dominates the conversation as well. Selective universities, we’re told, take pride in the number of students they turn away and revel in the resulting rise in college rankings. They refuse to broaden access for more students while hoarding endowment assets.

Elites, it seems, have become even more elitist.

Admissions remains a black box, now even more opaque thanks to the elimination of race-conscious admissions and the uncertain nature of how people of color present themselves as applicants.

Politicians continue to chip away at the bedrock of higher education, attacking tenure and academic freedom and dictating who can be admitted and how finances should be managed. Earlier this year, prominent university leaders looked foolish when grilled by a congressional committee exploring the extent to which free speech had eroded on campus while antisemitism was left unchecked.

Even “Saturday Night Live”had fun with that one.

More recently, one story after another highlighted escalating disruptions on campuses, some resulting in violence, stemming from views on the Israel-Hamas war and the failure of university leaders to effectively manage those situations. Presidents from Columbia and Northwestern faced similar congressional grillings.

This constant drumbeat of troubling news contributes to the waning confidence Americans have in our colleges and universities.

What, if anything, can higher education do to flip the script?

Colleges must adapt to a changing landscape, rethinking the relevance of the curriculum and methods of delivery. If people are seeking skills and training elsewhere because they can’t get what they need through traditional higher education, perhaps colleges should become more responsive to market needs.

They must rethink their essential structure to address rising costs so the value quotient makes more sense to the consumer.

And they have to stop playing defense. Defense might win championships in professional sports, but it doesn’t make for good public relations.

Colleges and universities have much to offer both the individual and society. Higher education does pay off. We know this. It’s the closest thing we have to a silver bullet, especially for those not born into wealth and privilege.

We don’t see enough examples of this in the media. Yes, elite universities are important. They produce groundbreaking research and educate a disproportionate number of graduates who occupy influential positions in society.

Yet fewer than 1% of American undergraduates attend Ivy Plus institutions. Only 6% of students attend colleges that accept less than 25% of applicants. And 41% of undergraduates are in community colleges.

We need more stories about these colleges and these students — community colleges, regional colleges shouldering the lion’s share of educating people and providing economic mobility. Perhaps if the media turned its focus to affordable colleges doing wonderful things for their students and their communities, the American public would be more confident in our system of higher education.

To that end, university leaders must play better offense, touting their worth and relevance and transformative power.

They need to tell congressional committees and meddling politicians that these are complex organizations operating in complex times and making nuanced decisions that cannot be reduced to binary choices and convenient soundbites.

And while they’re at it, they should tell critics that American universities remain the envy of the world, drawing students from far and wide seeking what they offer. The core beliefs that shaped the academy have endured for almost 400 years, so they’re doing something right.

This may or may not be a watershed moment for higher education. It certainly feels like one. Time will be a better judge.

But university leaders have an audience that’s paying attention, so it’s a prime opportunity to make a better case. Let’s hope they don’t waste it.