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2mo ago

Pew Poll Finds 70% Say U.S. Higher Education Is on the Wrong Track

The findings arrive as the Trump administration cuts research funds, pressuring campuses to sign an ideological compact.

A shot of two college graduates as they make their way up a stairway and into the morning sunlight. They are dressed in graduation robes and hats. Lots of excitement and promise ahead of them.

Overview

  • Pew surveyed 3,445 U.S. adults from Sept. 22–28, 2025, with 70% saying higher education is headed in the wrong direction, up from 56% in 2020.
  • Negative views span parties, with 77% of Republicans and 65% of Democrats expressing concern, and both up by at least 10 percentage points since 2020.
  • Americans rate colleges poorly on affordability, with 79% calling tuition efforts fair or poor, and many fault job preparation (55%) and critical-thinking development (49%).
  • On campus climate, 45% say institutions do a fair or poor job exposing students to diverse viewpoints, and 46% say the same about providing opportunities for student expression.
  • Research remains a relative strength, with 55% giving positive marks, even as the administration has terminated billions in research grants and a separate survey reports opposition to funding cuts.