Higher-Ed Underperforming
Seven in ten Americans now say the nation’s higher education system is headed in the wrong direction, up from 56 percent in 2020. Affordability remains the public’s sharpest grievance, with nearly four in five saying colleges do a fair or poor job keeping tuition reasonable. More than half doubt that universities prepare graduates for well-paying jobs or provide sufficient financial aid. Fewer than half praise colleges for fostering critical thinking, viewpoint diversity, or student well-being. Yet higher education still commands respect for research and innovation, the one domain where its reputation endures.
Full analysis by Pew Research Center
J.M.W. Turner, The Fighting Temeraire, 1839. Public domain.