Confidence in US Higher Education Declines Sharply, Poll Finds
A new poll has revealed a significant decline in public confidence in the value of college degrees. Americans are increasingly skeptical about higher education, particularly given its cost, and believe the US higher education system is heading in the “wrong direction.”
According to a report released by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation, only 36 percent of adults have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education. This marks a sharp decrease from the 57 percent recorded in 2015.
“It is sad to see that confidence hasn’t grown at all,” said Courtney Brown, vice president of Lumina. “What’s shocking to me is that the people who have low or no confidence is actually increasing.”
The survey, conducted in June 2024, highlighted that the overall confidence level of 36% remains unchanged from the previous year. However, a growing trend is the increasing number of Americans expressing “very little” or “no” confidence in higher education, now almost equal to those with high confidence at 32 percent.
The poll explored various factors contributing to this decline in confidence. One-third of respondents cited the high cost of college as a major issue, while 24 percent believe that students are not being adequately educated or prepared for the workforce.
Moreover, 67 percent of respondents feel that higher education is headed in the “wrong direction,” with only 31 percent believing it is on the right path. Interestingly, the survey also found that more people have confidence in two-year institutions compared to four-year institutions.
Additional factors not mentioned in the survey may also include political ones, as college campuses have become echo-chambers for radical left policies, as evident by the number of violent anti-Israel demonstrations over the last six months.
