Report/Research

Squeeze Play: How Parents and the Public Look at Higher Education Today

At a Glance

At a time when the vast majority of Americans believe that higher education is more important than ever to a successful future, a growing percentage of Americans believe that rising costs are preventing qualified students from attending college, according

Published oct. 29, 2013

At a time when the vast majority of Americans believe that higher education is more important than ever to a successful future, a growing percentage of Americans believe that rising costs are preventing qualified students from attending college, according to a new national survey about the quality, affordability, and access of higher education. Meanwhile, the vast majority of Americans believe that higher education could do more to control costs while helping more students enter and graduate.

These are among the findings of this national survey of Americans, conducted by Public Agenda and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, that has tracked public attitudes toward colleges and universities since 1993. The survey was supported with a grant from the Lumina Foundation for Education as part of its Making Opportunity Affordable initiative, which JFF manages.