Public confidence in American colleges and universities has declined significantly, prompting a discussion among North Texas higher education officials about how to restore faith in the system. The conversation took place Tuesday at Southern Methodist University, where Dallas is located approximately 18 miles south of Plano.
The event was organized by The Dallas Morning News and featured a panel of regional academic leaders. Moderated by higher education reporter Milla Surjadi, the group included Warren von Eschenbach, president of the University of North Texas at Dallas; Michael Harris, dean of SMU’s Simmons School of Education and Human Development; Nakia Douglas, former executive director of Dallas Education Collective; Sondra Barringer, an associate professor at SMU; and Marc Christensen, the incoming executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Texas at Dallas.
According to Gallup data cited during the discussion, only 42% of Americans expressed a great deal of confidence in higher education institutions in 2025. This figure represents a slight increase from the all-time low of 36% recorded in the two preceding years. Panelists noted that justifying the value of a degree has become increasingly difficult as tuition costs rise, political tensions enter campuses, and artificial intelligence transforms daily life.
Harris explained that the current trust crisis is a relatively modern phenomenon. Following World War II, heavy federal investment in research universities helped establish degrees as reliable paths to economic stability. However, as public support for these institutions waned during the 1980s, schools began relying more on tuition. This shift contributed to the modern student debt crisis, which currently affects 43 million Americans, according to the Federal Student Aid office.
Barringer questioned how institutions can justify increasing prices while claiming degrees are worthwhile, particularly when considering the consequences of student debt. She and Christensen agreed that public perception often focuses too heavily on cost rather than the long-term quality-of-life improvements associated with higher education. Despite these known benefits, low-income families often struggle to justify the expense, especially when attending college requires forgoing immediate income.
