Only 36 percent of Americans have notable confidence in our higher education system, according to a 2023 Gallup poll. “The Chronicle of Higher Education,” a premier outlet covering news related to colleges and universities, has an entire series of articles on the “public perception problem.” These articles acknowledge that societal belief in the value of college has dropped significantly. More and more high school graduates are skipping college entirely.
The reasons for a paradigm shift surrounding higher education lie beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say that the days when college was seen as an all-but-necessary rite of passage and the only viable path to a successful career are probably over.
