Americans aren’t so sure that a college education will help them get ahead.
According to a new report from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation, released Monday, only 36% of adults have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education. While it’s not a dip since last year (the rate was the same in 2023), confidence in college has plummeted since 2015 when it was 57%.
The importance of college seems to be yet another thing Americans are deeply divided over. Fewer Americans say they have even “some” confidence in higher education (32%, down from 40%). And even more have “very little” or no confidence (32%, up from 23%). Therefore, nearly the same number of people feel that higher education isn’t important as those who feel it is.
Political party lines were apparent in the poll. Confidence has mostly fallen among Republicans. In 2015, 56% of Republicans had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence, and 11% had little or none. Now, 20% are confident and 50% have little or no confidence.
Still, it’s not just Republicans doubting the relevance of dorm rooms and lecture halls—across the board, confidence in higher education is falling. Only 35% of Independents (down from 48% in 2015) and 56% of Democrats (down from 68%) are optimistic about the role of college.
In particular, many right-leaning Americans believe that higher education has gone off course. The poll didn’t mention the political protests over Israel’s war in Palestine, however, many respondents expressed they felt that politics show up too often on campus. A whopping 41% of those who lack confidence say college has become “too liberal,” and that colleges are attempting to “indoctrinate” and “brainwash” students into more liberal beliefs.
Meanwhile, 67% of Americans say they think college is headed in the “wrong direction,” compared with just 31% who feel it’s going in the right direction.
Still, political views aren’t the only thing that respondents said was missing. Many also cited essential life skills and the ability to get a job: 37% said that relevant skills aren’t being taught, meaning that graduates struggle to find work after graduation, and 28% mentioned the price of higher education and crushing debt.
Political division across many issues runs deep, and the importance of college is just another area it’s showing up. Still, college enrollment is down and money and stress are some of the biggest culprits. While there’s a big split in how much value Americans believe higher education truly has, one thing is for certain: Fewer people believe that college is worth the price tag, the job uncertainty that may still follow post-degree, and, of course, the heavy burden of student loans.