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ISSUE GUIDES: Higher Education

PUBLIC VIEW: RED FLAGS

The Red Flags section offers guidance on areas of public opinion research where findings may be misleading, unstable, or easily misinterpreted. Public Agenda uses several indicators to judge when survey results should be reported and used cautiously.

Red Flag Statements

Affirmative Action: What a Difference a Word MakesPaying the BillDoes Everyone Need to Go to College? You Get Back What You Put In

Survey responses on affirmative action and increasing diversity on campus vary dramatically depending on how questions are worded and whether they emphasize the goal of diversity or focus explicitly on the issue of preferences. Surveys also suggest that many Americans may not completely understand much of the legal debate and press coverage of the issue. For example, surveys show that Americans have different definitions of what the words "affirmative action" mean and fairly large numbers say they aren't sure. Majorities of Americans say they support programs that offer "assistance" for minorities in college admissions or jobs, but support drops dramatically if the question is reworded to ask about "preferences." Most Americans say it is important for colleges to have a racially diverse student body, and more than half say "affirmative action" in college admissions should continue. At the same time only one in five say they believe that minority representation in higher education would decline if it were eliminated. Strong majorities of African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and whites say college admissions and job promotions should be based "strictly on merit," but minorities are far more likely to say that colleges and employers should make an "extra effort" to recruit qualified minorities.

  • Americans have different definitions of what affirmative action means and many say they aren't sure
  • Both minorities and whites say college admissions should be "strictly on merit," but minorities are more likely to favor...
  • Most say it's important for colleges to be racially diverse and more than half say affirmative action should continue
  • Only one-quarter of Americans say minority representation in higher education would decline without affirmative action
  • Strong majorities support programs to provide "assistance" for women and minorities in college admissions, but support...

When it comes to paying for college, the public sends distinctly mixed signals about how serious the problem is and frankly admits its own lack of knowledge. Half of parents say they're "very concerned" about saving enough to send their child to college, and majorities of Americans say government needs to do more to make college more affordable. Yet a majority also says that "almost anyone who needs financial help to go to college can get loans or financial aid" and that if "someone really wants to go to college, they can find a way to pay for it. Surveys also show that while majorities say in general they know "a lot" or "a good amount" about what it costs to go to college, Americans are unsure of what college actually costs when given specific estimates.

  • Majorities say government should offer tax breaks and opportunities to work for financial aid to make college more affordable
  • Majorities say in general they know "a lot" or "a good amount" about what it costs to attend college, but when given...
  • Most people say that almost anyone can get financial aid or loans and that if someone really wants to go to college they can...
  • Slightly more than half of Americans with children say they are "very concerned" about being able to save enough money to...

There are some contradictions in the public's thinking about the necessity of a college education. Two-thirds of the public says it's possible to be successful in the work world without a college education and nearly half say there are too many students in college who don't belong there. Yet six in 10 parents say they consider going to college "absolutely necessary" for their own child. Minority parents are even more likely to value a college degree than the general public. Nearly two-thirds of Hispanic parents and almost half of African American parents consider a college education "the one thing that can most help a young person succeed," compared to about a third of white parents and the general public.

  • Among parents, Hispanics are the most likely to say a college education is the one thing that can help young people succeed
  • Nearly half of Americans say there are too many students in college who don't belong there
  • Six in 10 parents of high school students say a college education is absolutely necessary for their child
  • Slightly more than half of the public says their job does not require a college degree
  • Two-thirds say it's possible to be successful in today's work world without a college education

Many experts worry about the fact that so many college students need remedial help or even drop out because they're struggling with their studies. When it comes to whether college students succeed in class, however, surveys find the public believes it's primarily up to the student to keep up. Most professors tell Public Agenda that incoming freshmen aren't prepared for college work. But in surveys, strong majorities of the public say it's mostly the student's responsibility to keep up with their studies and that the benefit a student gets from college depends on how much effort they put in. That doesn't mean the public absolves the college of all responsibility - nearly seven in 10 say a college should give extra counseling to a student who slacks off. But when asked to set priorities for college administrators, the public ranks cutting dropout rates and providing extra tutoring much lower than controlling costs or finding the best faculty.

  • Majorities say the benefit of a college education depends on how much effort the student puts in and it is the student's...
  • Most college professors doubt high school graduates have the skills needed to succeed in college
  • Two-thirds say colleges should counsel students who slack off, but helping students is not as high a priority as controlling...

Public Agenda uses several indicators to judge when survey results should be reported and used cautiously:

  • Results change when survey questions are reworded slightly.
  • Results change when implications or trade-offs of a policy are pointed out.
  • Results may be misleading if reported in isolation or out of context.
  • Other research suggests that people have incomplete or inaccurate knowledge in this area.