Colleges aren't just caught in the higher-ed backlash; they helped create it, a new Yale report concludes. A faculty committee at the university says institutions like its own share major blame for collapsing public confidence in college, pointing to soaring sticker prices, confusing financial-aid schemes, opaque admissions, grade inflation, and battles over free speech. The 10-professor panel says universities have tried to be "all things to all people—selective but inclusive, affordable but luxurious, meritocratic but equitable," without clearly stating their core mission, making it harder for the public to judge whether they're delivering on their promises, reports the New York Times.
High-tuition, high-aid pricing models have had a "disastrous impact on public trust," the report finds, and selective admissions that appear to favor the already advantaged only deepen suspicion. A decade ago, 57% of Americans had a high level of confidence in higher education, a number that had plummeted to 36% by 2024, notes Fortune, citing Gallup and Pew polling. Among dozens of recommendations: simplify costs, expand aid, cut back on admissions preferences, protect free speech, and rethink grading. Yale president Maurie McInnis, who commissioned the report, told the campus that the university has been "more than mere bystanders" as trust eroded and said the findings should fuel a broader public debate over what colleges are for—and how they need to change. Read the full report here.
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