Public confidence in American higher education has taken a fresh hit, erasing a brief period of recovery, as concerns over campus politics and financial value intensify, according to a new Gallup poll obtained by Fox News Digital.The latest data reveals that just 38% of U.S.adults maintain a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in higher education.
The figure represents a noticeable drop from last year, when trust in the sector experienced a modest uptick to 42%."It's kind of the three things that we see–those are still front and center and why people aren't as confident in higher ed as they used to be: the cost, there's the perception that there's a political agenda being taught, and there's the reception that they're not teaching people the right kinds of things they need to succeed in the job once they finish," an expert from Gallup told Fox News Digital in an interview.LIBERAL FACULTY STILL HUGELY OUTNUMBER CONSERVATIVES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: REPORT"U.S.public confidence in higher education remains much lower than it was a decade ago, but Americans’ views are not quite as negative as they were in 2024, when roughly equal shares had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence as had very little or none," Gallup researchers noted.
"After a slight recovery in confidence last year among all political party groups, views of higher education fell back this year, mainly among Democrats."Public confidence in American higher education has dipped after a brief period of recovery as concerns over campus politics and financial value intensify, according to a new Gallup poll first obtained by Fox News Digital.(iStock)The survey probed respondents on what drives their skepticism, revealing three distinct themes among those who lack confidence:• 31% cite partisan bias or indoctrination on college campuses.• 30% point to the high cost of a college degree.• 25% believe colleges fail to prepare students to succeed in the modern job market.Gallup researchers noted...