Why is support for higher education dropping in the U.S.?
“Cost, perceived political agendas, and the nature of instruction are primary reasons given for lack of confidence,” said a recent report from Gallup.
The survey shows more Americans are losing faith in U.S. colleges and universities.
In 2015, 57% said they had confidence in higher ed. In 2025, that number was at 42%. In 2026, that number declined to 38%.
Gallup says only 37% of Americans say they have “some” confidence in higher education, while 25% have “very little” or “none.”
Democrats who are huge proponents of spending more tax dollars on college are starting to change their minds.
According to Gallup, in 2025, 61% of Democrats said they have confidence in higher ed. In 2026, that number dropped by double digits to just 50%. Gallup says that is a new low
Just 39% of independents and 23% of Republicans had faith in higher education. In 2015, 56% of GOP voters had more faith in higher learning.
“The long-term decline in confidence in higher education has been steepest among Republicans, down 33 percentage points from 2015, compared with declines of 18 points among Democrats and nine points among independents,” Gallup said.
The survey also found that 43% of college graduates continue to have more confidence in higher education than those without a four-year college degree (35%).
When respondents were asked why they had such low expectations, Gallup listed the top 3 reasons,
Most Americans (31%) perceived political agendas on college campuses. 30% said the high cost of a college education and 25% said colleges were not preparing students well for the workforce.
