Just 36% of surveyed adults said they think higher education in the U.S. is “fine how it is,” down 5 percentage points from last year, according to an annual survey from New America, a left-leaning think tank. Adults across the political divide shared this view — 39% of Republicans and 36% of Democrats agreed the sector is currently fine. A large majority of adults from both parties also agreed that cost is the biggest factor preventing people from attending college. The survey is the latest in a long string of polls that show confidence in higher education is falling. Despite this, U.S. adults still value college, with 75% of respondents saying they think postsecondary education provides a good return on investment.
