The Public Perception Puzzle
A series by The Chronicle to examine higher ed's public perception problem — and the solutions to it.
Recent Reporting
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Enrollment ChallengesWhy It’s So Hard to Get People Back in College Once They’ve Quit
For many of America’s 40 million college dropouts, the reasons not to return are obvious. -
Parsing the Narrative
What’s Really Behind the View That Higher Ed Isn’t Worth It?
Yes, the sector has a lot that it needs to fix. But criticisms that seem to dismiss the value of college altogether often miss key details. -
Quiz
Do You Know What the Public Really Thinks of College?
Last summer The Chronicle polled the population about how colleges serve students and society, and more than 1,000 American adults answered. In this quiz, see if you can guess what they said.
“Americans still believe in the value of a college credential, but they aren’t convinced higher education is fulfilling its promise to society.”
Eric Kelderman, "What the Public Really Thinks About Higher Education"Our Journalists Discuss the Project
Partisan Politics
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Strife in the Middle East
How Should College Presidents Speak About the Unspeakable?
Some have struggled to find the right words on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Others have opted not to speak at all. -
Across the Divide
Who Should Shape What Colleges Teach? Not the Government, Most Americans Say.
A new Chronicle poll shows bipartisan support for giving internal actors the most influence on the curriculum. But it also reveals deep political divides on other questions about higher ed. -
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The Assault on DEI
College administrators say the efforts are an effective way to repair decades of discrimination. Republican politicians say the practices violate the law. -
Political Interference
The Red-State Disadvantage
Public flagships in conservative states face reputational and recruiting challenges. -
Partisan Politics
A County Turns Against Its College
In Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, as in other places across America, disdain for higher education is thriving.
Majorities of survey respondents think four-year colleges positively influence students’ ways of thinking over all and their personal values. Far fewer answered the same when asked about students’ political views.
Emma Pettit, "Who Should Shape What Colleges Teach?"
A NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT BETWEEN COLLEGES AND THE PUBLIC
During ChronFest 2023, Senior Reporter Eric Kelderman moderated a panel discussion on what’s needed to develop a new social contract between colleges and the public for the country to thrive.
The Public Good
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What Higher Ed Means to Me
Mind-Expanding or a ‘Capitalist Hellscape’? How Our Survey Respondents View College.
People talk to us about their personal experiences with higher ed. -
Data
What Do Americans Say About College? That Depends on What — and Whom — You Ask.
Explore the nuances of public views of higher ed in 15 findings from Chronicle polling data. -
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Presidents' Roundtable
3 Presidents on How Higher Ed Can Build Public Trust
Public polling on higher education has set off some alarm bells. If confidence is falling, what does that augur for colleges? -
Public Perception
What the Public Really Thinks About Higher Education
Americans still believe in the value of a college credential, but they aren’t convinced higher education is fulfilling its promise to society, The Chronicle’s national survey shows. -
America's Views on College
Where the Public Sees Value in Higher Ed
The Chronicle asked more than a thousand adults how well colleges serve students and society. Explore the data to find points of confidence and doubt, consensus and divergence. -
Getting Outside the Ivory Tower
The Insular World of Academic Research
More community-focused scholarship could build public trust. What’s standing in the way? -
Making the Case
The Return of College as a Common Good
Americans increasingly see the public value of higher education. Can colleges seize the moment? -
Public Opinion
Inside One City’s Love-Hate Relationship With Higher Ed
Most Americans think higher education is headed in the wrong direction, but they love their local college. Why? -
Marketing
Can a National Marketing Campaign Change the Souring Conversation About College?
Higher ed has an image problem.
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FROM OUR SURVEY: HOW GOOD A JOB DO COLLEGES DO EDUCATING THEIR STUDENTS?
Responses are shown by educational attainment. Read more on views of teaching.
The Student Experience
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Student Debt
How Much Should You Borrow for a College Education?
Results from a national survey, commissioned by The Chronicle, offer a peek into how everyday Americans think about student debt. -
The Invisible Hurdle
Why Transferring Credits Can Be One of Higher Ed’s Most Stubborn Barriers
Bureaucracy, institutional self-interest, and seemingly minor systemic snags can make moving from community college through a four-year institution almost unbearably difficult. -
Where Will Tomorrow's Students Come From?
Hispanics Want to Enroll in College, but They Don’t Know How to Get There
They’re more likely than white respondents to consider higher education, according to a national Chronicle survey.
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Commentary
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The Review | Opinion
The Public Is Giving Up on Higher Ed
Our current system isn’t working for society. Digital alternatives can change that. -
The Review | Essay
Citadels of Neoliberalism or Bastions of Wokism?
What elite higher ed’s critics on both the left and the right get wrong. -
The Review | Opinion
Universities Can’t Do Everything
They’re pulled in many directions. A refocus on teaching is in order. -
The Review | Essay
The Political Machine Behind the War on Academic Freedom
How conservative activists use state legislatures to control what colleges can teach. -
The Review | Essay
The 50-Year War on Higher Education
To understand today’s political battles, you need to know how they began.
NATIONAL IMPACT
The Chronicle’s in-depth, insightful reporting informs the journalism of other media organizations.
