Voters Have a Favorable View of Higher Education, but Think It Has Become Too Expensive to Attend College
By William Diep
President-elect Donald Trump has heavily criticized the current state of higher education in the U.S. Between his plan to dismantle the Department of Education and his attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in academia, Trump’s disavowal of U.S. colleges and universities has prompted cheers among Republicans and fears among school administrators.
A new Data for Progress survey examined voters’ perceptions and concerns related to higher education.
When asked if they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of higher education institutions, voters express strong favorability, although levels of favorability vary by type of institution. The highest net favorability is for community colleges and trade/technical colleges, both with +69 net favorability, followed by public colleges and universities (+48), liberal arts colleges (+26), and Ivy League colleges and universities (+13).
Voters Are Split on the Value of Higher Ed and How Helpful Colleges and Universities Are to Their Students
Voters are split on whether or not the benefits of a college degree outweigh the costs, with a slight plurality of voters (48%) saying the benefits are worth the costs, and 45% saying the benefits are not worth the costs. Independents and Republicans are more skeptical than Democrats about the value of a college degree.
While voters believe every higher education institution offers somewhat or very high education value, they think trade/technical colleges (85%) offer the highest level of value, followed by public colleges and universities (79%), community colleges (79%), private colleges and universities not in the Ivy League (77%), and Ivy League colleges and universities (69%).
A majority of voters say U.S. colleges and universities are very or somewhat effective at helping students meet new people (69%) and helping students learn about people from diverse backgrounds (60%). However, just over half think colleges and universities are effective at helping students secure a well-paying job (54%), and only around half say the same for helping students navigate society (50%), use good judgment (50%), understand reality (49%), and treat other people well (49%). Just 46% say colleges and universities help students solve world problems (46%).
Concerns Over Cost Rise to the Top
More than 8 in 10 voters think the price of attending a U.S. college or university has become too expensive, and only 11% of voters think the opposite. Strong majorities across party lines share this sentiment.
The survey also asked voters ages 18-39 who have not attended a two- or four-year U.S. college or university why they haven’t enrolled. The most common response is that college is too expensive, with 72% saying this is very or somewhat important to their decision, followed by work obligations (64%), family obligations (58%), and cultural attitudes on college campuses (57%).
In an optional open-ended question, voters had the chance to share what they think would make them feel better about U.S. colleges and universities in their own words. Of the 932 likely voters who gave a specific response, the most common response was lower costs, cited by 451 respondents. Additionally, 182 respondents say more practical education or better job prospects would make them feel better about U.S. colleges and universities, while 145 respondents say less political bias and DEI emphasis would make them feel better about higher education.
More Than 60% of Voters Want to See Increased Focus and Funding on Trade Skills
When asked how U.S. colleges and universities should change their focus, voters think colleges should focus more or the same amount on trade skills (89%), agriculture and natural sciences (89%), business (86%), math, STEM, and engineering (86%), computer science (86%), and humanities and social sciences (73%). A smaller percentage think colleges should focus more or the same amount on athletics (53%), with 39% saying colleges should focus less on athletics. Nearly two-thirds of voters think colleges should focus more or the same amount on DEI, while 28% think colleges should focus less on DEI.
Furthermore, a majority of voters support increasing federal funds for trade schools (64%) and community colleges (56%). A plurality of voters want to increase funding for public colleges and universities (44%), while 35% want to keep the level of funding as it is. The percentages of voters who want to decrease funds for higher education remain low for public colleges and universities (13%), community colleges (6%), and trade schools (5%).
While only 33% of voters want to increase funds for financial aid for students at private colleges and universities, this percentage surpasses the 23% of voters who want to decrease those funds.
Broadly, voters see the value of obtaining a college education but are very concerned about the cost associated with a degree. Voters firmly oppose attempts to cut funding for higher education, and majorities or pluralities think funding for trade schools, community colleges, and public colleges and universities should be increased.
William Diep (@WilliamDiep6) is a communications intern at Data for Progress.
Survey Methodology
From December 6 to 8, 2024, Data for Progress conducted a survey of 1,216 U.S. likely voters nationally using web panel respondents. The sample was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education, race, geography, and recalled presidential vote. The survey was conducted in English. The margin of error associated with the sample size is ±3 percentage points. Results for subgroups of the sample are subject to increased margins of error. Partisanship reflected in tabulations is based on self-identified party affiliation, not partisan registration. For more information please visit dataforprogress.org/our-methodology.