In just two years, the percentage of respondents who thought colleges and universities are leading America in a positive direction has dropped by 14 percentage points, with about 55 percent of all respondents now saying they thought the institutions were having a positive effect on how things are going in this country. While respondents revealed a favorable opinion of how colleges and universities contribute to the workforce, with public community colleges and public four-year colleges and universities garnering the greatest favor (81 percent and 67 percent, respectively), only four out of ten respondents felt that way about for-profit colleges and universities.
For the survey, New America included household financial literacy and security questions to assess public feelings about the economic uncertainty associated with the current recession. According to the findings, perceived financial security has declined from 76 percent before the pandemic to 68 percent. Feelings of economic security varied between levels of education attained and race. When thinking about the future, 73 percent of respondents felt they would be economically secure six months from now.
Access the full Varying Degrees 2022 Report here.