In recent years, modern-day culture wars have brought controversial debates to college campuses, including topics like the wars in the Middle East, racial discrimination, policing and DEI programs in schools.
Triggered by this onslaught of political turmoil, a lack of faith in higher education has disseminated into high schools and homes across the country.
Approximately 70% of Americans think higher education in the United States is headed in the wrong direction. In 2020, that number was at 56%, showing a significant increase in distrust towards the current post-secondary system. Though both parties view higher education negatively, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say higher education is headed in the wrong direction.
While there is a crisis of confidence surrounding higher education due to a variety of politically controversial issues on college campuses, part of the issue also lies in rising education costs.
In the last 30 years, the average costs at both private and public universities has nearly doubled when adjusted for inflation. At private national universities specifically, average tuition increased from around $24,000 in 2006 to $51,000 in 2025.
Rising prices often discourage economically disadvantaged students from attending universities, exacerbating the long-standing idea that higher education is accessible only to the wealthy.
“When I applied to college, I didn’t even think about private universities elsewhere because I knew I couldn’t afford them,” senior Harjeevan Singh said. “Ultimately, with rising prices, I decided to attend a public university in my home state.”
At Harvard University, roughly 40% of its students pay full tuition, indicating that a significant portion of its student body and their families can afford approximately $62,000 a year for higher education. Though the university has made tuition free for families making less than $200,000 a year, an economic divide still exists, with 67% of its students coming from the top 20% of income earners.
In terms of public perception, when many American families are unable to afford higher education, trust in the post-secondary system begins to decline.
The decline continues during a period of increased employment insecurity among recent graduates. For those who do secure employment, many work jobs that did not require a degree in the first place.
In 2024, 52% of college graduates were working jobs that did not require higher education—75% of those graduates were still in that same situation a decade after graduation.
“I also took my major into account when I committed to my University,” Singh continued. “I was scared that if I chose a certain major, I wouldn’t have any employment opportunities when I graduated and no way to pay off my expensive student loans.”
Beyond affordability, college campuses are responsible for shaping the next generation of leaders. In that responsibility, there is a delicate balance of instruction within an ambiguous range of interpretations; in other words, there is national disagreement over what students should learn.
Political efforts to reshape higher education have also contributed to debate. Recent anti-DEI policies have led some universities to eliminate DEI-related offices and programs. Critics argue that such measures, along with claims about admissions practices, have further politicized perceptions of higher education.
Additionally, reductions in federal funding have impacted universities nationwide, contributing to concerns about access and research capacity.
“I’ve noticed that there are new barriers every day to what students should learn or should not learn,” senior Maia Katragada said. “I’ve also heard from college students I’ve been contacting that the clubs I wanted to participate in have been discontinued.”
The growing distrust of higher education, paired with rising costs and political polarization, has created an increasing barrier to public confidence in the system.
With the rapid emergence of digital technologies such as AI adding new uncertainty, it remains unclear how rising costs, reduced funding and declining trust, will shape the future of higher education.
