For increasing numbers of Americans, a crucial facet of the American Dream appears to be at risk. A solid majority consider a college degree an indispensable ticket to the middle class. At the same time, even more people believe college is financially out-of-reach for many qualified students. This is the message from new public opinion research by…

Colleges have lived a charmed life. According to the public-opinion studies that the authors have conducted over the past 15 years, many fields--athletics, accounting, politics--have lost the public's trust, but higher education continues to receive praise for its accomplishments, while criticisms usually fail to stick. The honeymoon may be slowly…

Six out of ten Americans now say that colleges today operate more like a business, focused more on the bottom line than on the educational experience of students. Further, the number of people who feel this way has increased by five percentage points in the last year alone and is up by eight percentage points since 2007. These are highlights from…

For increasing numbers of Americans, a fundamental element of the American Dream appears to be at risk. A solid majority consider a college degree an indispensable ticket to the middle class, while even more people believe college is financially out-of-reach for many qualified students. The authors of this report advocate that findings have…

Three studies of public perceptions of higher education are summarized. Results show that while higher education enjoys elements of support from both the general public and community leaders, the support is shaky. In addition, the two groups differ substantially in their understanding of the academic world and in their evaluation of higher…

As part of a broader national effort, 509 Floridians statewide responded to a survey of attitudes toward higher education in 2000. In many ways, the attitudes of Floridians are similar to those of respondents to a national survey. The four conclusions emerging from this research are supported by national findings: (1) Floridians believe that…

As part of a broader national effort, 500 New Yorkers statewide responded to a survey of attitudes toward higher education in 2000. In many ways, the attitudes of New Yorkers are similar to those of respondents to a national survey. The four conclusions emerging from this research are supported by national findings: (1) New Yorkers believe that…

As part of a broader national effort, 501 Illinois residents statewide responded to a survey of attitudes toward higher education in 2000. In addition, a focus group was held with African American parents in Chicago. In many ways, the attitudes of residents of Illinois are strikingly similar to those of respondents to a national survey. The four…

In early 2003, Public Agenda surveyed 503 Californians statewide to determine their attitudes toward higher education. In addition, two focus groups were held in Santa Clara, California. Statewide surveys had also been conducted in 1993 and 1996. In many ways, the attitudes of Californians were similar to those of respondents to a national survey.…

As part of a broader national effort, 501 Coloradans statewide responded to a survey of attitudes toward higher education in 2000. In many ways, the attitudes of Coloradans are strikingly similar to those of respondents to a national survey. The four conclusions emerging from this research are supported by national findings: (1) Coloradans believe…

To examine some of the impacts of changes on public attitudes, this document highlights a small-scale survey that included 16 substantive questions. It was conducted in October 2003 and included 801 adult respondents. Several respondents were called back for more in-depth discussions of the views they had expressed in the surveys. Public opinion…

Traditionally, the United States higher education system has been the envy of the world for its high quality, accessibility to millions of Americans, ability to train generations of skilled workers, and its contribution to creating the vast American middle class. Today, however, higher education is experiencing new pressures. A new generation of…

This report presents findings of a telephone survey of 700 Americans nationwide concerning their attitudes about the importance of a higher education. Closed-ended interviews with all respondents were supplemented by in-depth follow-up interviews with some of the respondents; responses from this survey were compared to those from a similar survey…

This report on the public perception of higher education is based on a review of 30 recent public opinion polls. The review found: (1) higher education enjoys a reservoir of goodwill; (2) a college degree is seen as an essential credential for success; (3) the public is broadly committed to equity, but as an income issue and not gender- or…

A state-wide survey of public attitudes about education in Connecticut conducted by Public Agenda, supplemented by focus groups and a survey of educators and community leaders, suggests that the Connecticut public is ambivalent about support for education and for proposals to integrate the schools. Resistance seems to stem from the public…