Most Americans say higher ed is 'failing' students, do not trust university leaders: survey

The same survey suggests that Americans’ trust in university leaders is less when the university in question is an elite one.

Most Americans view university leaders as “not good examples of leaders” and are “failing” their students. 

A survey from U.S. News & World Report and The Harris Poll, conducted among 2,031 U.S. adults from Dec. 8. - 10, found that 58% of Americans believe “university leaders are failing students today.”

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The same survey suggests that Americans’ trust university leaders less when the university in question is an elite one. When asked if they trust university leaders “to prioritize their students,” 59% said they trust public university leaders, 55% said they trust private university leaders, and 51% said they trust Ivy League leaders to do so. 

Fifty-six percent of “think that university leaders are not good examples of leaders for their students.”

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And only 43% of Americans think that universities are succeeding at their mission of “developing leaders of tomorrow.”

The results of the survey were presented at an exclusive U.S. News forum on Dec. 12. The organization published highlights from the findings on Dec. 13.