Recent surveys reveal a significant decline in public trust in American colleges and universities. A Gallup poll indicates only 36% of Americans express confidence in these institutions, a stark drop from 57% in 2015. This downward trend continued, with approval ratings falling to 48% by 2018 and now reaching a new low.

The Gallup poll, conducted between June 1st and 22nd, 2024, involved telephone interviews with over 1,000 adults across the United States. The results show a concerning lack of strong faith in higher education, with only 17% of respondents reporting "a great deal" of confidence and 19% stating "quite a lot" of confidence. A significant portion, 40%, expressed only "some" confidence, while 22% admitted to having "very little" confidence.

This decline in confidence in universities mirrors a broader trend of declining trust in American institutions. A separate Fox News poll from June 2024 showed similar drops in public confidence in entities like the FBI, the Supreme Court, and Congress. Trust in the federal government has also reached a 20-year low, with less than a third of voters expressing confidence.

The Supreme Court, in particular, has experienced a substantial decline in public trust, falling below 50% for the first time since tracking began in 2014. This decrease in confidence spans the political spectrum, with significant drops observed among Democrats, Republicans, and Independents since 2017.