Americans’ trust in higher education is on the decline, according to a new Gallup poll. This shift in confidence is being driven largely by Democrats, suggesting they are starting to realize the education system is not perfect.

From 2025 to 2026, the percentage of respondents who said they had “quite a lot” or “a great deal” of confidence in the country’s higher education system fell 4 percentage points, from 42% to 38%, according to Gallup.