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Executive Briefing

EAB's Higher Ed State of the Sector: The Crisis of Public Confidence


Public skepticism toward higher education is growing. Despite decades of data proving that a college degree provides strong long-term benefits, confidence in the institutions delivering that degree has waned. Cabinet members and executive leaders should use this briefing to identify the trends most likely to impact their institutions and to prioritize actions that can rebuild public trust.

In this year’s State of the Sector research, EAB unpacks the "story behind the story" of declining public confidence. Specifically, we highlight three critical trends that are shaping higher ed’s public value crisis, and outline actionable opportunities for leaders to confront these challenges head-on:
 
  • Traditional defenses of higher ed are trapped in an echo chamber
  • Both sides of the political aisle agree on a growing list of critiques
  • Every external constituency is behaving more like an investor 



Download the Briefing