College Crisis

Colleges and universities around the country are examining their operations and core missions more seriously than any time since the beginning of the great expansion of higher education after WWII.

Enrollment is down for many, expenses have grown, tuition increases are reaching a ceiling, and federal and state money is tight or retrenching.

However, a series of recent polls show that the public still intensely values a college education. By more than ten-to-one, Gallup reports the American public says college is “very important” (70%) over “not too important” (6%). A quarter of the population lands in the middle, answering “fairly important” (23%).

Women, minorities, Millennials, already college educated and Democrats value college higher than average. Many of those groups have the least resources; hence, the challenge of the next few decades is how to provide college access to the most passionate and most in need.