More and more Americans are doubting the cost and worth of higher education, and the majority of respondents to a recent Gallup and Lumina Foundation survey think the country’s educational system is moving in the “wrong direction.”
The percentage of adults who have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of faith in universities has dropped from 57% in 2015 to 36% in this study. As universities deal with the fallout of the student loan crisis, worries about tuition costs, and political disputes over racial education and other issues, enrollment is falling.
People of all ages, genders, and political persuasions have a pessimistic outlook on whether or not higher education is worthwhile. Compared to Democrats and independents, Republicans have seen a significant decline in the proportion of respondents expressing great trust in higher education—a loss of 36 percentage points—during the last decade.
According to experts, a lack of college graduates might exacerbate healthcare and IT workforce shortages. Those who choose not to go to college typically end up with lower lifetime incomes than those who do. Furthermore, individuals without degrees are disproportionately impacted by employment losses in economic downturns.
To better understand the reasons behind the decline in confidence, this year’s study included new questions.
Nearly a third of respondents said college is “too expensive,” and many more(24%) believe that students are not receiving an adequate education. Respondents’ political opinions significantly impacted the results. They expressed worries about indoctrination, political bias, and the excessively liberal nature of today’s institutions.
When asked where they think college is going, almost two-thirds of respondents said the “wrong direction,” while only a third said they were optimistic.
In comparison to 33% of Americans who hold this view of four-year universities, 49% of people express “a great deal” or “quite a lot” trust in two-year institutions.
