Gallup News | By: Zac Auter | December 27, 2017:
Throughout 2017, Gallup investigated the current state of higher education in the U.S. We listened to the perspectives of critical audiences ranging from chief business and academic officers at colleges and universities to education consumers themselves to Americans in general. As 2017 comes to a close, we can address two important questions from what we’ve learned through our research:
- What are the serious issues currently facing higher education in the U.S.? What can institutions do to address these issues?
Higher Education In The U.S. Faces Two Fundamental Issues
The financial future of higher education in the U.S. is uncertain.
There is waning confidence in the financial stability of colleges and universities in the near future. An Inside Higher Ed/Gallup survey found that 71% of chief business officers at colleges and universities say media reports suggesting higher education is in the midst of a financial crisis accurately reflect the general financial landscape of higher education in the U.S. This is up from 63% the prior year and 56% in 2015.
Concerns about higher education’s financial stability could suggest that the dramatic increase in the cost of college — up 400% since the early 1980s — might have finally outpaced demand, especially because there has not been a corresponding increase in quality.
Americans’ views of higher education are becoming increasingly politically polarized.
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