Concerns About College Preparedness and Affordability Among Americans
A recent Gallup survey highlights that many Americans feel colleges in the U.S. could improve their efforts in preparing students for the workforce, with a significant number also viewing college as increasingly unaffordable.
According to the Lumina Foundation-Gallup Confidence in Higher Education survey, only 7% of U.S. adults rate four-year colleges as doing an “excellent” job in workforce preparation. On the other hand, 33% think they do a good job. In contrast, 38% feel these institutions perform at a “fair” level, while 29% believe they do a “poor job.”
In relation to quality of education, just 13% of respondents believe that four-year colleges offer an “excellent” educational experience, while 48% think the colleges do a good job. The survey also indicates that 27% feel these institutions provide a “fair” education, and 11% rate it as poor.
Confidence in higher education appears to be waning, with 32% of U.S. adults expressing little to no confidence. This marks a significant shift since Gallup’s initial measurement in 2015, when 57% of adults had a high level of confidence and only 10% showed little or none.
Regarding affordability, only 12% of adults think that four-year colleges and universities are doing an “excellent” (4%) or “good” job (8%) in offering affordable education. Furthermore, 63% believe these institutions are performing poorly in this area.
A separate Gallup survey from July 2024 indicates that many Americans are increasingly skeptical about higher education.
The average estimated cost of college in the U.S. stands at about $38,270 per student per year, which includes expenses like books, supplies, and basic living costs, as reported by the Education Data Initiative. Notably, this average has more than doubled in the 21st century.
George Washington University also projected that students returning in the 2026-2027 academic year may face nearly $100,000 in total costs.
The survey’s findings are based on telephone interviews conducted by ReconMR from June 1-15, involving a random sample of 1,001 U.S. adults. The margin of sampling error for the total sample is plus or minus 4 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
