This article from the PEW Research Center summarizes research on attitudes toward higher education. Whether you assess higher education as having a positive or negative impact on the country varies considerably as a function of your political party affiliation. Democrats have a more positive view. The position of Republicans has been growing more negative since 2015.
When asked to identify negative issues Democrats point to the high cost of attending college. The Republicans were most likely to claim that professors bring their political and social views into the classroom. When it comes to the negative influence of professors. 17% of Democrats see this as a negative issue in comparison to 79% of Republicans. Republicans also contend that the institutions do not protect students from views they find offensive (75%) and are not providing skills needed in the workplace (73%).
The negative views of Republicans are strongly related to age. For example, 96% of those over 65 see academics bringing their views into the classroom as a problem.
Data provided in this report indicates that the financial value of an undergraduate degree has increased during this same time period. The difference between “some college” and a degree was about $20,000 in 2017.
This writer being old, but a professor for over 40 years, can only smile.
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