Most Republicans Say Colleges Hurt America

The share of Republicans who think the institution of higher education is bad for the country has shot up in the past two years.

1472478649_GettyImages-186216427 — Photographer: Collegiate Images/Getty Images

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By Polly Mosendz and Shahien Nasiripour

July 11, 2017 at 5:29 PM UTC

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America's colleges are harming the country, the majority of Republicans now say. It's a strong downward slide in public opinion that, some experts fear, could exacerbate growing divides among Americans and lead to higher levels of student debt.

The conclusion, from a Monday report by the Pew Research Center in Washington, based on a June survey of 2,504 adults, reflects a reversal from just two years ago, when 54 percent of Republican and Republican-leaning Americans said colleges and universities had a positive impact on the way things were going in the country. Now, 58 percent say the opposite: that higher education institutions are having a negative impact on the U.S. In 2015, only 37 percent of Republicans said that.