Articles

Squeeze play: How parents and the public look at higher education today

Public Agenda Alert
May 31, 2007

Americans believe that higher education is key to a successful future, and the vast majority also say that costs should not prevent qualified students from attending college, according to Public Agenda's latest survey.

But the survey, conducted with the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, also reveals widespread concern that the opportunity to go to college may not be available to all qualified students. In addition, nearly two-thirds of parents of high school students (64 percent) do not believe that rapidly escalating costs are leading to more learning on campus.

Moreover, more than four in 10 (44 percent) believe that waste and mismanagement are a major factor in growing college costs, and over half say that colleges and universities could spend less money yet still maintain quality.

Public Agenda and the National Center have tracked public attitudes toward higher education since 1993. The new report, "Squeeze Play: How Parents and the Public Look at Higher Education Today," shows a record level of Americans, 50 percent, now say that a college education is necessary for success in the workplace, compared with 31 percent in 2000. Meanwhile, more than half of Americans (58 percent) say that college prices are rising faster than other expenses, and 62 percent agree that many qualified and motivated students do not have the opportunity for a college education, compared with 45 percent in 1998.

Reflecting an undercurrent of discontent, the public blames colleges and universities, in part, for spiraling costs, and a plurality seem open to dramatic change, with almost half (48 percent) saying that their state higher education system needs to be fundamentally overhauled. In addition, despite their
generally positive attitude toward higher education, more than half (52 percent) say that colleges are like a business and mainly care about the bottom line.

"Squeeze Play" was conducted for the Making Opportunity Affordable initiative, supported by the Lumina Foundation for Education.

Download the press release and full report for "Squeeze Play" at:
http://www.publicagenda.org/research
/research_reports_details.cfm?list=108

Or from the Making Opportunity Affordable site:
http://www.makingopportunityaffordable.org

Copyright 2007 Public Agenda. More information: www.publicagenda.org.

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