Polls: Confidence in colleges and universities continues plummet to ‘new lows’

Confidence in institutions of higher education among Americans continues to plummet to new lows, according to recent national polls commissioned by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

The polls, one conducted in February with a follow-up in May, asked a sample of American households: “How much confidence, if any, do you have in U.S. colleges and universities?” The results were then compared to a Gallup poll that asked a similar question in 2023.

“On average, most Americans surveyed in FIRE’s May poll reported ‘some’ confidence in U.S. colleges and universities (42% vs. 40% in Gallup),” the foundation reported.

“But compared to the 2023 Gallup poll, fewer Americans reported ‘a great deal’ or ‘quite a lot’ of confidence in colleges and universities (28% vs. 36% in Gallup), and more Americans reported ‘very little’ confidence or ‘none at all’ (30% vs. 22% in Gallup).”