In recent years, Americans have grown increasingly skeptical about the value and affordability of higher education. A 2024 Gallup-Lumina Foundation poll found that only 36% of adults express a high level of confidence in the nation’s colleges and universities, a sharp decline from 57% in 2015 (Gallup & Lumina Foundation, 2024). This erosion of trust in college reflects concerns among parents and students about student debt, high tuition costs, and the real-world utility of a degree.
Youth Perceptions
Public perception is not the only factor shifting; enrollment patterns mirror this trend. With the advent of specialized vocational training opportunities, more young people are rethinking whether a college degree is necessary for professional success. According to the Pew Research Center (2024), only one in four Americans now believes that a bachelor’s degree is essential for securing a well-paying job. Young men without college degrees have seen a modest rebound in earnings over the past decade. Community colleges, with their affordable two-year programs and career-focused curricula, provide a practical pathway for students seeking to increase earnings and gain marketable skills without committing to a four-year degree. The median annual income for men aged 25 to 34 with only a high school diploma rose from $39,300 in 2014 to $45,000 in 2023 when adjusted for inflation (Pew Research Center, 2024).
Partisan Perceptions
This declining confidence cuts across political and demographic lines. Among Republicans, trust in higher education has dropped by 36 percentage points over the past decade, far more than among Democrats or independents (Gallup & Lumina Foundation, 2024). Affordability remains the most significant barrier to college enrollment, as many prospective students doubt they can manage rising tuition costs, coupled with concerns about student loans. Additionally, concerns over curriculum relevance and career preparation have intensified skepticism, as many students and families question whether a degree will provide sufficient return on investment.
Beyond financial obstacles, aspirations toward higher education are declining. The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Education reported that between 2002 and 2022, the percentage of students expecting to earn a bachelor’s degree or higher fell from 72% to 44% (Pell Institute, 2024). The decline is especially steep among first-generation students, dropping from 60% to 33%, highlighting persistent inequalities in access and support. Rising tuition costs and increasing student debt create financial uncertainty, discouraging students from pursuing a degree. Also, first-generation students might face additional barriers, including limited access to college-preparation resources, which exacerbate inequalities and reduce confidence in the value of earning a degree.
In the United States, the so-called “enrollment cliff” is compounding the issue. Declining birth rates have led to smaller high school graduating classes, which in turn means fewer college entrants in the coming decade. Georgetown University researchers estimate that by 2032, the nation will require more than 5 million additional workers with postsecondary education, particularly in health, business, and STEM-related fields (Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2023; Smith et al., 2025). According to this estimation, without sufficient graduates, these shortages may slow economic growth and strain public services.
International Enrollments
Worldwide, tertiary education enrollment has expanded dramatically in the past two decades. UNESCO (2024) reports that the global gross enrollment ratio in higher education rose from about 19% in 2000 to nearly 40% by 2020, mainly driven by growing middle-class populations in Asia and Africa. Countries such as China and India have invested heavily in expanding university access, while European nations continue to maintain high participation through subsidized systems.
International student mobility remains a vital component of higher education. According to the Institute of International Education (2024), the United States hosted over 1.1 million international students during the 2023–2024 academic year, reaching an all-time high. However, competition is intensifying as countries like Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom expand recruitment and streamline visa processes. India recently surpassed China as the leading source of international students in the U.S., accounting for roughly one-third of total international enrollment (IIE, 2024).
Despite these gains, global mobility patterns show volatility. SEVIS (2025) data indicate an 11% decline in active U.S. international student records compared with the previous year, due in part to stricter visa processing, rising costs, and geopolitical tensions. Similar patterns are visible in other destination countries, as shifting immigration policies, campus drama and activism, and post-pandemic economic pressures reshape study-abroad decisions.
Implications
Restoring trust in higher education is a daunting and seemingly insurmountable task. Aside from the issue of affordability, activism and controversy on college campuses have increasingly influenced public perceptions and political bias toward higher education, often overshadowing academic achievement. At the same time, peer review and research integrity lapses, as well as high-profile scandals ranging from falsified studies to paper mills, have undermined trust in universities as reliable sources of knowledge. Ivy League universities, long regarded as academic elites, have faced scrutiny over funding priorities, plagiarism, research misconduct, and divisive campus activism. These controversies have fueled public doubt about whether even the most prestigious institutions maintain the intellectual and ethical standards they once symbolized. Together, these issues have eroded public confidence, prompting many to question whether higher education still upholds the intellectual and ethical standards it once represented beyond concerns about cost.
References
Gallup & Lumina Foundation. (2024). Confidence in higher education remains low in the U.S. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com
Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. (2023). The college payoff: More education doesn’t always mean more earnings. Georgetown University. https://cew.georgetown.edu
Institute of International Education. (2024). Open Doors 2024 report on international educational exchange. IIE. https://iie.org
Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Education. (2024). Declining degree aspirations among U.S. students: 2002–2022 trends. Council for Opportunity in Education. https://pellinstitute.org
Pew Research Center. (2024). Most Americans say college is not necessary for a well-paying job. Pew Research Center. https://pewresearch.org
SEVIS. (2025). Student and Exchange Visitor Information System quarterly data report. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov
Smith, A., Chen, R., & Patel, J. (2025). Falling behind: The U.S. skills gap and the future of work. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu
UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2024). Global education monitoring data: Higher education participation 2000–2020. UNESCO. https://uis.unesco.org