Faith in America's 'politicized' colleges sinks to this alarming new low
- Just 36 percent of respondents express confidence in higher education today
- Critics say it's gone woke, is too expensive, and teaches the wrong skills
- READ MORE: The degree that leaves you POORER - and what to study to net $1M
Faith in US higher education has sunk to new lows, with many respondents to a new survey complaining of 'brainwashing' and a 'liberal bias' at colleges and universities.
Pollster Gallup found that just 36 percent of people said they had a great deal of confidence in colleges and universities this year, compared to 57 percent who did so when asked in 2015.
The survey comes after a wave of pro-Palestinian, anti-war protests swept US universities in response to Israel's assault on Gaza, which led to violent clashes with law enforcement and allegations of antisemitism.
The results also indicate concerns over rising tuition costs, and doubts over whether four-year degrees help graduates earn more when they hit the job market.
'Confidence has dropped among all key subgroups in the US population over the past two decades, but more so among Republicans,' said Gallup editor Jeffrey Jones.
Faith in US colleges and universities hit a new low in 2024 after a decade of a decline
Pro-Palestinian protesters block police vehicles from leaving the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, in April
'Americans who lack confidence in higher education today say their concerns lie in colleges pushing political agendas, not teaching relevant skills, and being overly expensive.'
The survey found that Americans are now split between those who say they have a lot of confidence (36 percent), some confidence (32 percent), or little or no confidence (32 percent) in higher education.
The drop is most pronounced among Republican voters, shows the survey of more than 2,000 respondents, which was produced in connection with the Lumina Foundation, a think tank.
Gallup editor Jeffrey Jones says Republicans are miffed with higher education
In 2015, 56 percent of GOP voters had strong faith in higher education, and 11 percent had little or none.
That's flipped around in less than a decade, with just a fifth of Republicans expressing confidence today, and half saying they have none.
Those who criticized colleges and universities typically said they had become too politicized, were not teaching skills that are useful in today's workplaces, and that they cost too much.
Fully 41 percent slammed 'political agendas' in institutions, including 'brainwashing,' 'propaganda,' and a 'liberal' bias.
A small number criticized a heavy-handed focus on 'diversity, equity and inclusion.'
Another 37 percent of respondents said courses often had the 'wrong focus' and 'don't teach right things,' while 28 percent criticized the costs of going to school nowadays and the debts graduates are often left with.
Jones said the shift against higher education 'is largely a political one' driven by conservatives.
'The drop in confidence extends beyond purely political motives to questions about the relevance to the workforce of what students are being taught and the high cost of college,' he adds.
Tuition fees have risen so much faster than inflation that many families have begun to question the value of college costs.
Many are deterred by eye-watering tuition fees, which at some top schools exceed $70,000 a year for four-year bachelor's degree courses.
Republican voyters have turned against higher education more than other groups
A pro-Palestinian protestor at Dodd Hall in the University of California, Los Angeles,in June
The naysayers have a laundry list of complaints with America's schools and universities
Average costs of tuition and fees for the 2023-2024 academic year were more $11,260 at public colleges and nearly $41,540 at private institutions, according to the College Board.
Annual costs for trade schools are often much lower, between $5,000-$20,000, says Best Colleges.
'It's so expensive, and I don't think colleges are teaching people what they need to get a job,' Randy Hill, 59, a Connecticut-based Republican voter and chauffeur, told CBS News.
'You graduate out of college, you're up to eyeballs in debt, you can't get a job, then you can't pay it off. What's the point?'
Many young people don't want to start their adulthood saddled with debts, and shorter, cheaper courses for marketplace-ready technical skills can look more appealing than longer, traditional degrees.
Gallup's results echo a recent Pew Research Center survey showed many Americans are questioning the value and usefulness of four-year degrees.
Many now see trade schools and apprenticeship schemes as able to produce gainful workers faster than most colleges or universities.
Almost half say a degree is only worth the expense if students don't require a loan to attain it, the poll showed.
Almost a third of the respondents say the cost of a four-year college degree is not worth earning if students have to borrow to get the degree.
Education researcher Preston Cooper has crunched the numbers on higher education and found that two-year technical courses can offer significantly better returns for graduates than four-year degrees.
On average, two-year technical certificates offered a return on investment of $313,022, he says.
That means graduates typically earn that much more over the course of their career, minus the costs of tuition, books, and lost earnings while they're studying.
That's about twice as good as the ROI on bachelor's programs, which is $159,751, he found.
'What students want most out of postsecondary education is a good-paying job,' Cooper told DailyMail.com.
Learning a trade can be a route to riches ... but not always.
Learning how to be a mechanic is among the best rates of return, with a career dividend of nearly $340,000
Learning how to maintain and repair industrial plant gear offers the best return among all the trades
'Sometimes four-year degrees can provide that, but not always. A growing number of students are considering trade school as an alternative to college, as many trade programs have a proven track record of increasing earnings.'
But the ROI from different trade courses varies hugely, says his report for the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, a nonprofit think tank.
The best two-year course for big bucks is in maintaining heavy industrial equipment, which has a career-long return of $595,195.
Choose your course wisely, says education researcher Preston Cooper
Those studying to be mechanics, electrical repairers and installers can expect returns of more than $300,000.
Metalworkers and those who study heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) also do well, with a career ROI of some $250,000.
But some trade courses are less profitable.
Carpenters can only expect returns of $79,365, while those studying construction will gain only $15,520 over their careers.
And then, warns Cooper, are the courses that actually lose students money.
The average student of cosmetology will be down $114,036 over the course of their career.
The reason for such wide disparities is supply and demand in the job market, says Cooper.
There are plenty of people with cosmetology certificates competing for low-paid jobs in beauty salons.
But not many workers can maintain and repair industrial equipment, and managers pay top dollar to keep assembly lines moving.
