Dive Brief:
- Nearly one-third of U.S. adults, 32%, said they have very little or no confidence in higher education, up from 23% of respondents who said the same last year, according to new research from Gallup and Lumina Foundation.
- Meanwhile, the share of adults who reported strong confidence in higher education, 36%, stayed the same compared to last year. The percentage of those who said they have only some confidence in higher education dipped from 40% last year to 32% in 2024.
- The results show adults are increasingly questioning higher education, with the sharpest changes in views among Republicans. Respondents with low faith in colleges frequently cited their belief that the institutions are attempting to “indoctrinate” students, fail to teach students relevant skills and leave graduates struggling to find jobs.
Dive Insight:
Although overall confidence in the sector has been slipping for two decades, Gallup noted that “the story is largely a political one,” with few Republicans reporting confidence in higher education.
In the latest poll, half of Republicans said they have very little or no confidence in higher education, compared with just 11% who said the same in 2015. Similarly, only 20% reported high faith in higher education, down from 56% nine years ago.
A much lower share of Democrats, just 12%, reported low or no confidence in higher education in the latest poll. Similarly, more than half of Democrats, 56%, said they have high faith in colleges. However, that share has fallen from 68% in 2015.
Of the respondents who reported little confidence in the sector, 41% said they lack faith in higher education because of a perceived political agenda. Many of these surveyed adults cited their belief that colleges were “too liberal” and that they were trying to “brainwash” students.
A similar share, 37%, said colleges don’t teach the right things. These respondents argued students weren’t learning relevant skills, were struggling to find employment after graduation and didn’t get much out of their college education.
Over a quarter, 28%, cited costs and expenses, such as taking out student loan debt. Smaller shares of respondents reported other reasons, including concerns over the quality of instructors, political unrest, antisemitism, bias in admissions and poor leadership.
Meanwhile, 27% of respondents who reported high confidence in colleges and universities pointed to the value of higher education. A similar share, 24%, said college gives people more opportunities in their careers and lives.
Around one-fifth, 19%, said college provides students with important skills, such as thinking for themselves and respect for divergent viewpoints. Thirteen percent pointed to institutional and instructor quality.
The results were based on a telephone survey fielded from June 3-23.
A separate web survey from Gallup and Lumina Foundation found that respondents tended to be more confident in two-year colleges than four-year institutions, with nearly 48% reporting high faith in community colleges. That’s compared with only 33% who said the same about four-year institutions.
