Weekly Briefing: Confidence in Higher Ed Is Down. Again.

A recent survey found deep partisan divides and concerns about college costs. ADVERTISEMENT [Weekly Briefing Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. Confidence in higher ed is down. Again. Public confidence in higher education is sinking. Two years ago, more than two-thirds of respondents said colleges had a positive effect on the country, according to [a New America survey.]( The most recent version of this survey — which is based on nearly 2,200 online and telephone interviews — shows a 14 percentage-point drop. The survey also found intense partisan divides. Nearly three-fourths of Democrats said higher education contributed to the country in a positive way, while 37 percent of Republicans had that opinion. There was some positive news for the sector. More than 75 percent of respondents said that some education beyond high school gave students a good return on investment. Public perception of online education is also on the rise. Nearly half of Americans said it was comparable to quality in-person education, a figure up from one-third in 2021. Still, 80 percent of individuals surveyed said online courses should cost less than face-to-face classes. The survey echoed something you probably already know: Americans are concerned about college affordability. Around half of respondents said it was possible to get an affordable, high-quality education after high school. There’s a further generational divide when it comes to cost. For example, two-thirds of baby boomers said it was possible to get an affordable postsecondary education, but among Generation Z respondents — a group that includes recent high-school graduates and college students — only 36 percent said they could obtain an affordable degree or credential. The New America survey isn’t alone in these findings. This month, Public Agenda and USA Today [released a survey]( found only half of Americans think the economic benefits of college outweigh the costs. Last week, [I told you about my colleague Megan Zahneis’s reporting]( that colleges were struggling to fill open positions. One stark finding was that college leaders and hiring managers said that colleges are a less appealing place to work than they were a year ago. Tuesday’s New America survey found that many Americans, whether it’s because of a political divide or concern about affordability, also found college less appealing. It’s clear that folks in and out of the sector are down on higher education. Now, we have to see how colleges respond. [Read our Karin Fischer’s reporting on the recent survey](. To further understand the divide on college, read these: - [The Red-State Disadvantage]( - [A County Turns Against Its College]( - [The College Degree Is Dividing America]( ADVERTISEMENT Lagniappe. - Read. For the folks who feel like they have a million unanswered questions all the time (like me), here’s a novel that embodies that notion: Either/Or by Elif Batuman. (Kirkus Reviews) - Listen. What company makes the Monkeypox vaccine? What’s going on with vaccine distribution? These questions and others are answered in[this podcast episode](. (The Wall Street Journal) - Watch. Director Jordan Peele’s new movie Nope is just [as fun as it is clever](. Just pay attention — I won’t spoil. The movie is playing in theaters. (The New Yorker) — Fernanda SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to essential news, analysis, and advice. Chronicle Top Reads FALL FORECAST [Last Year Was Miserable. Can Colleges Make This One Better?]( By Beth McMurtrie [STORY IMAGE]( Campuses plan to counteract student disengagement, even as they struggle to understand it. GUIDELINES [One President’s Playbook for Public Statements]( By Eric Kelderman [STORY IMAGE]( Like a lot of college presidents, Steven C. Bahls knows what it’s like to wake up to an inbox full of angry emails. SEXUAL MISCONDUCT [The Proposed Title IX Change That Worries Some Experts]( By Tom Bartlett [STORY IMAGE]( A move away from the requirement to hold hearings would be a major shift, and a controversial one. ADVERTISEMENT FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [Building a Faculty That Flourishes]( [Building a Faculty That Flourishes]( Colleges and universities cannot be successful without vibrant and engaged faculties. Now is the time to figure out sustainable ways to recruit, support, and diversify the faculty. [Order your copy today.]( NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2022 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037