As many freshmen flock to colleges across the country, new surveys show that Americans are losing confidence in higher education and a growing number see it having a negative impact on the nation.
In fact, a new Pew Research Center survey found that nearly 4-in-10 think colleges and universities have a “negative impact” on the country, up from 26% in 2012.
And Gallup agreed, said Pew, finding that between 2015 and 2018, the share of Americans that had confidence in higher education dropped from 57% to 48%.
What Pew said the two found in common is the explosion of partisanship, seen in politics and daily life, now impacting the view of higher education.
Republicans, for example, have a negative view of colleges and universities.
Said Pew, “The share of Americans saying colleges and universities have a negative effect has increased by 12 percentage points since 2012. The increase in negative views has come almost entirely from Republicans and independents who lean Republican. From 2015 to 2019, the share saying colleges have a negative effect on the country went from 37% to 59% among this group. Over that same period, the views of Democrats and independents who lean Democratic have remained largely stable and overwhelmingly positive.”
The divide has led to a clash over the value of higher education. For example, those interviewed said the experience helped them grow personally but didn’t help them land a job.
Pew’s bottom line:
“The partisan gaps underlying these views are reflective of our politics more broadly. From health care to the environment to immigration and foreign policy, Republicans and Democrats increasingly see the issues of the day through different lenses. But views on the nation’s educational institutions have not traditionally been politicized. Higher education faces a host of challenges in the future – controlling costs amid increased fiscal pressures, ensuring that graduates are prepared for the jobs of the future, adapting to changing technology and responding to the country’s changing demographics. Ideological battles waged over the climate and culture on college campuses may make addressing these broader issues more difficult.”
