This week, Gallup and the Lumina Foundation released a new poll about how Americans view colleges and universities. Gallup found that 38 percent of U.S. adults now express a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in higher education, down from 42 percent in 2025. That marks a decline. Inside Higher Ed reported that the drop was sharpest among Democrats, whose confidence fell to a record low for that group. Courtney Brown, Lumina's vice president of impact and planning, discussed the findings and what they reveal about public trust. The 74 reported that college confidence has slipped for several years. It has not recovered.
Gallup poll shows US college confidence drops to 38 percent
Gallup and the Lumina Foundation released a poll finding that 38 percent of U.S. adults have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in higher education, down from 42 percent in 2025.
