A new national report from Lumina Foundation and Gallup finds that while public confidence in higher education has fallen sharply over the past decade, students and college graduates describe far more positive experiences on campus and in the workforce.
The report, The College Reality Check What Students Experience vs. What America Believes, draws on surveys of nearly 4,000 currently enrolled associate and bachelor’s degree students and almost 6,000 graduates. It compares their responses with broader public opinion data collected by Gallup.
Public trust in higher education has eroded significantly since 2015. That year, 57% of U.S. adults said they had “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in colleges and universities. By 2024, that share had dropped to 36%, with 32% reporting little or no confidence. Although confidence ticked up in 2025 to 42%, nearly one in four Americans still express substantial reservations.
Among adults who lack confidence, the leading concerns include campus politicization, doubts about career preparation and high costs. In 2025, 38% of skeptics cited worries about indoctrination or ideological bias, 32% pointed to a perceived lack of job-relevant skills, and 24% identified cost and student debt as primary reasons for their distrust.
Students’ accounts diverge from those perceptions.
Across political affiliations, between 64% and 74% of Democratic, Republican and independent students say that all or most of their professors encourage them to share their views and support open discussion. Seventy percent of students overall agree that they can express their opinions freely on campus, including 76% of Democratic students and 69% of Republican students. Reports of political exclusion are rare. Just 2% of all students say they do not feel they belong on campus because of their political views, including 3% of Republican students, 1% of Democratic students and 2% of independents.
The report also finds broad confidence in academic quality and career preparation. Seven in 10 students rate the quality of their education as “excellent” or “very good.” Nearly all currently enrolled associate and bachelor’s degree students, 93%, say they are at least somewhat confident their degree is teaching them career-relevant skills, and 88% believe it will help them secure a job after graduation.
Graduates’ outcomes reinforce that optimism. Three-quarters say their degree was “critical” or “important” to achieving their career goals, including 80% of bachelor’s degree holders and 56% of associate degree recipients. Among recent graduates, 80% of bachelor’s degree holders and 62% of associate degree holders report obtaining a good job within one year of graduation.
Cost remains a central tension. Although 89% of associate degree students and 93% of bachelor’s degree students say their overall investment in college is worthwhile, many question pricing practices. Fifty-seven percent of students say four-year colleges do not charge fair prices, while only 25% believe they do. Community colleges are viewed more favorably, with 53% of students saying two-year institutions charge fair prices.
Even so, roughly three-quarters of students and graduates say their degree is or was worth the cost.
“This study makes something clear: Students and graduates know firsthand the difference college has made in their lives,” said Courtney Brown, vice president of impact and planning at Lumina. “Even as public skepticism grows, experience tells a different story. They are building real skills, expanding their opportunities, and finding campuses where dialogue and belonging matter. The gap between perception and lived reality raises important questions for leaders and policymakers.”
Stephanie Marken, senior partner at Gallup, said the data suggest the divide may be driven more by perception than by widespread student dissatisfaction. “The findings suggest that declining public confidence in higher education reflects concerns that are not widely experienced by students or graduates,” she said. “While challenges related to cost, belonging, and postgraduation outcomes remain for some, the majority of students and alumni report that higher education delivers strong academic quality, meaningful career preparation, and long-term value.”
The report concludes that institutions can help narrow the confidence gap by communicating graduate outcomes more clearly while continuing to address affordability, belonging and free expression on campus.
