Higher education in the United States enjoys broad public support, but Americans are concerned about its costs and some aspects of campus culture, according to a sweeping new national survey.
The study is the first report from the American Higher Education Barometer (AHEB), a collaboration among researchers at the University of Rochester, Northeastern University, Rutgers University, Harvard University, and others. It draws on more than 31,000 survey responses from all 50 states, making it one of the most comprehensive snapshots of public opinion on US colleges and universities in recent years.
Druckman, a professor of political science at the University of Rochester, says the findings paint a nuanced picture of an institution that Americans trust and view as a crucial incubator for technology and scientific innovation—despite facing challenges in the way of public perception.
“Universities remain among the most trusted institutions in American life,” Druckman says. “But there’s clear evidence that the public wants higher education to take its challenges seriously, from affordability to free speech. The good news is that broad support provides a foundation for doing just that.”
According to the report, 59% of Americans approve of the role US universities play in society, and 75% say they trust them at least somewhat. This places higher education fourth among major institutions evaluated in terms of “institutional trust,” behind only hospitals and doctors, the military, and scientists and researchers.
Nine in 10 Americans recognize universities as vital for science and technology, while 83% credit them with advancing health care and economic growth. Nearly three-quarters also view them as crucial for democracy.
At the same time, the survey found widespread anxiety about campus life and rising costs:
- 87% of respondents say they are concerned about tuition and student debt.
- 84% worry about free speech on campus, and 77% about what they perceive as universities and colleges having a “liberal bias.”
- More than eight in 10 express concerns about discrimination on campus, including racism, antisemitism, and Islamophobia.
- Three-quarters have concerns about transgender athletes.
“These aren’t fringe issues,” Druckman says. “They’re shared concerns across the political spectrum, even if people disagree on solutions. The data suggest the public isn’t anti-university. People just want to see institutions engage constructively with difficult topics.”
Another key takeaway is that the public strongly rejects government efforts to reduce university research support.
Majorities opposed cutting federal or state funding for science, health, or education by margins of roughly four or five to one. Nearly half of Americans say they favor more investment in scientific research, and 57% want more medical research funding.
The survey found that many respondents would act to protect research funding:
- 57% say they would contact a member of Congress to oppose cuts to science funding if asked by a university to which they have ties.
- 62% would do the same to defend health research.
Those findings, Druckman notes, show universities have an underused reservoir of public goodwill.
“There’s enormous potential for mobilization,” he says. “People want to stand up for the research and innovation that make universities essential to national progress.”
The report, authored by Druckman along with David Lazer and Mauricio Santillana (Northeastern), Katherine Ognyanova (Rutgers), and Matthew Baum (Harvard), argues that higher education operates from a “position of relative strength,” but faces “genuine vulnerabilities” that could erode that strength if left unaddressed.
The researchers recommend that universities emphasize shared values—such as scientific discovery, technological innovation, and community benefit—while proactively acknowledging public concerns about affordability, discrimination, and free expression, and avoiding dismissing them as partisan attacks.
AHEB plans to release additional reports tracking changes in attitudes over time and exploring how public views of universities intersect with politics, media coverage, and policy debates.
For Druckman, who is widely considered an authority on political polarization and trust in institutions, the findings offer a measure of optimism.
“We live in an era in which many institutions have lost credibility,” he says. “Universities haven’t. They still enjoy the confidence of most Americans—Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike.
“That’s an extraordinary asset,” he adds, “but one that must be nurtured.”
Source: David Andreatta for University of Rochester
