OAN’s Brooke Mallory
Monday, July 8, 2024 12:11 PM
A recent survey found that Americans are increasingly skeptical of the benefits and costs of college life, and a majority believe the nation’s higher education system is heading in the “wrong direction.”
advertisement
A report released Monday by the Lumina Foundation and Gallup found that only 36 percent of people polled said they have “a lot” or “a lot” of confidence in higher education — a figure that’s steadily declined from 57 percent in 2015.
“Similar sentiments are reflected in declining enrollment numbers as universities contend with the effects of the student loan crisis, concerns about rising tuition costs and political debates about how to teach race and other topics.” CNN report.
The erosion of views about whether college is worth the time and money affects people of all ages, genders and political stripes. Over the past decade, Republicans’ strong confidence in a college education has fallen 36 percentage points, a sharper decline than Democrats and independents. Republican analysts say conservatives frequently cite the overwhelming influence of left-wing propaganda taught at U.S. universities as a contributing factor.
But others point to ineffective university curricula and high tuition fees.
“Tuition is too expensive, and I don’t think college is going to teach you what you need to get a job,” said Randy Hill, 59, a ride-hailing driver and registered Republican in Connecticut. “You graduate with a mountain of debt, you can’t get a job, you can’t pay it off. What’s the point?”
Overall, only 36% of respondents have strong confidence in higher education, according to a June 2024 survey.
Experts say the decline in college graduates could exacerbate labor shortages in industries like information technology and health care. People who choose not to attend college earn, on average, 75% less over their careers than those with a bachelor’s degree, according to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce.
“It’s sad to see that self-confidence isn’t growing at all,” said Courtney Brown, vice president of the education nonprofit Lumina. “What’s shocking to me is that we’re actually seeing an increase in people with low or no self-confidence.”
To understand the reasons for the decline in trust, this year’s survey included new, more comprehensive questions.
Nearly a third of respondents believe college is “too expensive,” and 24% believe students aren’t getting the instruction they need to be successful.
Political opinions had a significant impact on the results, although the survey did not directly address the protests over the Gaza war that have divided many college campuses this year. Respondents expressed concerns about political bias, indoctrination, and the overly liberal nature of today’s universities. Of those who said they were unconfident, 14% said it was because of the university’s political goals.
Only 31% of respondents believe universities are heading in the right direction, while more than two-thirds, or 67%, believe universities are heading in the “wrong direction.”
according to GallupTraditionally, four-year universities were the first to come to mind when expressing confidence in higher education, but the survey found that more respondents now have confidence in two-year colleges and technical schools.
“It’s to save money, so I chose the two-year program because it’s more value for money,” said Freeman, 22, a sociology major at Diablo Valley Community College.
Stay up to date! Receive the latest news directly in your email for free. Sign up here: https://www.oann.com/alerts
Please share this post!
