Varying Degrees 2025: Americans Find Common Ground in Higher Education. New America's Ninth Annual Survey on Higher Education
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| Title: | Varying Degrees 2025: Americans Find Common Ground in Higher Education. New America's Ninth Annual Survey on Higher Education |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Sophie Nguyen, Olivia Cheche, Olivia Sawyer, New America |
| Source: | New America. 2025. |
| Availability: | New America. 740 15th Street NW Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005. Tel: 202-986-2700; Fax: 202-986-3696; Web site: https://www.newamerica.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 43 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation |
| Intended Audience: | Policymakers; Researchers |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research Numerical/Quantitative Data |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Higher Education, Educational Trends, Educational Attitudes, Educational Change, Educational Policy, Educational Principles, Educational Quality, Paying for College, Student Costs, Educational Equity (Finance), Access to Education, Politics of Education, Educational Finance, Political Attitudes, Political Issues, Accountability, National Surveys, Public Opinion, Role of Education, Educational Objectives |
| Abstract: | "Varying Degrees," New America's annual survey about Americans' perceptions of higher education, surveyed more than 1,600 adults to find that even when it seems politicians can't agree on higher education policy, Americans across the board are much less divided. Democrats and Republicans nationwide largely agree about the core value and purpose of higher education. The most partisan divergence relates to who should fund higher education. However, despite believing that students should be the ones responsible for bearing the cost of college, a majority of Republicans still support more federal and state investment into making college more affordable--aligning themselves with Democrats. Now in its ninth year, the survey continues to track public opinion on issues like value, funding, and accountability. It also introduces new questions to explore Americans' views on confidence in higher education and college quality, and whether they think colleges and universities are fulfilling their roles. These timely insights get at the core of the public and political frustration with higher education and offer a clearer picture of what Americans believe higher education is--and what it should do. Given New America's deep policy expertise, the authors believe that Varying Degrees will help inform policymakers, researchers, and advocates about how Americans feel about critical higher education issues. This year's report focuses on understanding where Democrats' and Republicans' views converge or differ and find more similarities than differences between the two groups. This report explores the 2025 survey results in detail, focusing on public perceptions of value and funding in higher education. For the first time, the report also dives into the rich year-over-year data that "Varying Degrees" has collected for the past nine years, revealing how Americans' views on these issues have evolved over the last decade. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | ED676717 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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