Explore the Findings
Opinions about higher education policies
Nearly three quarters of Illinoisans believe the state should increase funding to improve public colleges and universities. However, fewer support raising property taxes to do so.
Seventy-one percent of Illinois residents say the state government should increase funding to improve accessibility and affordability of public colleges and universities, while only 29 percent say the government already invests enough money in public higher education. Although Democrats are more likely than Republicans and independents to support increasing state funding, the majority of Republicans support it.
When asked who should be primarily responsible for ensuring that public colleges and universities are affordable and accessible, 52 percent say that responsibility should lie with the government. Thirty-one percent believe it should be the federal government’s responsibility while 21 percent believe it should be the duty of the state. Similar percentages of Democrats, Republicans, and independents—about 20 percent across each group—say the state government should be primarily responsible. However, compared to Democrats, more Republicans say public colleges and universities themselves should be responsible for keeping costs down, and fewer view the federal government as primarily responsible.
Local property taxes make up about 42 percent of community college revenue. Currently, only community colleges in Illinois receive revenue from local property taxes, while four-year universities do not receive any of this funding. Among Illinois residents, there is not a clear majority support for raising property taxes to make public colleges more accessible and affordable. About half of Illinoisans support raising taxes if they knew that the increase would make public colleges and universities more affordable and accessible. However, while Democrats support an increase, Republicans oppose it.
Nearly 70 percent of Illinoisans support prioritizing funding to colleges and universities that enroll large numbers of underrepresented students.
The survey respondents were asked whether they would support prioritizing funding for colleges and universities if they enrolled large numbers of specific categories of students, including students from low-income backgrounds, racial and ethnic minority groups, and rural areas. Prioritizing funding based on these criteria generally received high levels of support, with variations in the level of support depending on the group featured in the survey item. Prioritizing funding to public colleges or universities that enroll large numbers of students from low-income households gained the most support; see Figure 4.
In post-survey interviews with respondents, many expressed that extra help and resources should go to those who need it. There is a shared desire to ensure that all people who want to attain a degree can pursue one, and respondents highlighted challenges faced by people from low-income families when pursuing a degree.
Although there is variation in the degree of support, a majority of Democrats, independents, and Republicans support prioritizing funding for each of five underrepresented populations. There is also majority support for prioritizing funding among Black, Latino, white, and Asian Illinois residents, and among residents across all five regions.
Illinois residents identified many ways to help make higher education a better investment including lowering tuition and fees and offering more courses that provide workplace skills.
The majority of residents believe a variety of the ideas presented to them would help a great deal in making higher education a better investment; see Figure 5. Since nearly half of Illinoisans say higher education is a questionable investment because it is expensive and does not guarantee a good job, it is perhaps not surprising that lowering tuition and fees, offering more courses that provide workplace skills, and providing more institutional grants and scholarships that do not need to be repaid drew especially high levels of support from respondents. Furthermore, nearly 50 percent or more of Democrats, independents, and Republicans, as well as majorities of residents across all five regions, say these top three ideas would help a great deal in making higher education a better investment.
More Black (46 percent) and Latino (39 percent) than white residents (26 percent) say increased access to mental health services on campus would help a great deal in making higher education a better investment. Asian residents (31 percent) fall in the middle. More Illinois residents without degrees who are not currently enrolled (54 percent) than those with degrees or are currently enrolled (45 percent) say providing more financial assistance to meet basic needs such as food, housing, transportation, and childcare would help a great deal.
Value and accessibility of higher education
Although half of Illinois residents question the value of a college degree, most believe public colleges in Illinois provide high-quality, affordable education that is comparable to, if not better than, colleges outside the state.
At the national level, increasing numbers of Americans question the value of a college degree given the high and increasing costs of receiving one, especially in light of student debt. Illinois residents mirror this national finding: when forced to choose, 53 percent say a college education is a worthwhile investment for people who want better long-term career opportunities, while 47 percent say it is a questionable investment.
Many survey respondents spoke of the benefits of a college degree, seeing the degree as a doorway to better career outcomes. But they also spoke of the financial risks associated with pursuing a degree, indicating a more complex calculus for individuals from low-income households.
Some survey respondents spoke directly to the value of a two-year versus four-year degree. They weighed the amount of time it would take to obtain the degree with the career outcomes one could expect to gain from it.
Findings from this survey suggests that people currently pursuing their degree are more hopeful that their education will help them get a good job than are graduates. While 86 percent of Illinoisans who are currently enrolled in a bachelor’s or associate program agree that their degrees will provide them with the skills and knowledge needed to get a well-paid job in today’s economy, only 68 percent of Illinoisans who have earned a postsecondary credential and are not currently enrolled agree their degree provided them with these skills.
Although nearly half of Illinoisans believe that investing in a college education is a questionable decision, a majority believe public colleges in Illinois provide high-quality, affordable education that is comparable, if not better, than colleges outside the state. Only 31 percent say public colleges and universities outside of Illinois are usually higher quality and more affordable. Fewer Black and Latino residents than white residents say Illinois provides high-quality, affordable education.
About nine in ten residents believe all high school graduates should have equal access to higher education, and most agree that colleges and universities benefit communities and the economy.
Eighty-eight percent of Illinoisans agree—including 61 percent who strongly agree—that all high school graduates in Illinois should have equal access to a college education, regardless of race, ethnicity, income, or location. Furthermore, most agree that public colleges and universities strengthen communities, and most believe that having more college-educated residents would benefit the state economy and attract more employers.
Though Democrats are most likely to agree that a population with more higher education credentials benefits the economy and creates more jobs, majorities of all partisan groups share that view. Strong cross-partisan agreement is also reflected in views on access, as nearly 90 percent of Democrats, Republicans, and independents agree that all high school graduates should have equal access to a college education. Similarly, 67 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of Republicans agree that Illinois could attract more employees and create more jobs if more residents had college degrees. Independents fall in the middle with 62 percent agreement.
Most Illinoisans believe that there are people who want to go to college but don’t have the opportunity to do so. This belief is most prevalent among Black residents.
When asked which statement comes closest to their views, 61 percent of Illinois residents say there are many people in Illinois who want to go to college but don’t have the opportunity, compared to 39 percent who say the vast majority of people in Illinois who want to go to college have the opportunity to do so.
However, there are a few noteworthy demographic differences in responses. More Black residents than Asian, white, and Latino residents say there are many people who want to go to college but don’t have the opportunity to do so; see Figure 9. More residents in rural areas (66 percent) than residents in urban (59 percent) and suburban areas (59 percent) say there are many people who want to but don’t have the opportunity to go to college.
In follow-up interviews, survey respondents spoke of “children as the future” and stressed the importance of making higher education accessible to everyone, while acknowledging that not everyone has the opportunity to enroll.
Desire to pursue a degree
Nearly half of Illinois residents have not earned a higher education credential and are not currently enrolled in college. About two in five of them say they are likely to enroll in the next five years.
The survey found that 46 percent of Illinois residents do not have a postsecondary credential and are not currently enrolled in a community college or four-year college or university. Forty-three percent of Illinois residents who do not have a postsecondary credential and are not currently enrolled say they would like to or plan to earn a degree. However, this sentiment varies greatly, with 61 percent of Black and 63 percent of Latino residents expressing interest in earning a degree and only 30 percent of white residents interested in doing so*.
Most residents who are interested in earning a degree would like to do so to achieve long-term financial stability and to gain knowledge and skills needed to enter a specific job or career. While these are the top reasons to pursue a degree cited by Black, Latino, and white residents, these reasons were cited most frequently by white residents. More Black residents than white residents would like to get a degree to explore a variety of career opportunities, making it the third most cited reason to pursue a credential. Black residents are also more likely to say they want to pursue a degree to set an example for others.
*Due to small sample size, Asian residents cannot be included in comparisons among Illinoisans who do not have a degree and are not currently enrolled.
Thirty-eight percent of Illinois residents who do not have a college degree and are not currently enrolled say they are likely to enroll in the next five years. Twenty-one percent say they are likely to enroll in a four-year program, and 34 percent say they are likely to enroll in a community college. More Black and Latino residents than white residents say they are likely to pursue a degree in the next five years.
Most Illinoisans who do not have a degree but would like to pursue one in the next five years are 30 years or older and come from households with incomes under $50,000.
The survey found that among residents who do not have a degree, are not currently enrolled, and are planning to enroll in either a community college or a four-year college or university, 70 percent are 30 years or older, and 67 percent report that their household income is under $50,000. This group of potential college students may have different needs and concerns compared to incoming freshmen from high school, given their older age and constrained finances.
Concerns about pursuing a degree
Most residents who have not earned a degree and are not currently enrolled in college say lacking a degree has negatively impacted them.
Among Illinois residents who do not have a postsecondary credential and are not currently enrolled, 56 percent wanted to pursue a degree after high school but couldn’t afford to, and 74 percent believed that their best option for future success was to enter the workforce directly after completing high school.
In interviews, some survey participants indicated that after high school, they decided to get a job to become more financially stable before pursuing a degree. However, once they obtained a job, they found it hard to fit college into their busy work schedules.
Almost three-quarters (71 percent) say not having a degree has impacted them negatively in some way, with most believing that not having a degree has limited their career opportunities. Black and Latino residents are more likely than white residents to say they are paid less than some people who are working in the same position but who have a college degree.
About a third of residents who do not have and are not currently pursuing a post-secondary degree say they would like to, but for various barriers.
Among residents who do not have and are not currently pursuing higher education credentials, 31 percent say they would like to earn a college degree but either don’t know how it will fit into their work or family life or don’t think they can afford it. Black (22 percent) and Latino residents (25 percent) are more likely than white residents (15 percent) to say they don’t think they can afford to earn a degree.
The cost of pursuing a degree is a top concern for residents who do not have and are not currently enrolled in a postsecondary program. Among those enrolled, cost remains a major concern, alongside balancing life and school and keeping up academically.
Illinois residents without a degree who are not currently enrolled were asked to indicate how concerning a variety of factors would be if they decided to pursue a degree. The top three factors chosen relate to the cost of attending, including affording supplies and accessing or affording housing, transportation, and food; see Figure 15.
Concerns about affordability were also apparent in answers to a separate question. Illinois residents were asked to indicate what was most important when choosing a college or university: affordable tuition and fees was the top choice (57 percent) followed by flexible class schedules (38 percent) and financial assistance with housing, food, and/or transportation (24 percent).
Survey respondents spoke not only about their concerns related to the high cost of tuition, but also about the cost of supplies and technology for academic work. Others mentioned frustration in trying to figure out the total price tag, including supplies and fees. Mothers, who were interviewed following the survey, identified challenges in finding affordable childcare and attending class when children are sick. One interviewee who currently works at a community college addressed the need for housing security for students.
Black and Latino residents who do not have postsecondary credentials and are not currently enrolled are particularly concerned about the direct and indirect costs of pursuing a degree. More Black (70 percent) and Latino (67 percent) than white residents (52 percent) are concerned about accessing or affording housing, transportation, or food if they were to pursue a college degree. Accessing or affording childcare is concerning for less than a third of all residents who do not have a credential but is a greater concern for Black (39 percent) and Latino (40 percent) residents than white residents (19 percent).
Illinoisans currently enrolled in associate or bachelor’s programs were asked how concerning the same factors are as they pursue a degree. Although fewer say taking on too much debt is concerning, more say affording tuition and supplies and accessing or affording housing, transportation, and food is concerning; see Figure 15. This is perhaps why lowering tuition, fees, and other costs of attending college was most often indicated as a factor that would help a great deal in making higher education a better investment for people in Illinois.
Residents were also asked about their concerns regarding non-cost factors when pursuing a degree, including life responsibilities and keeping up academically. There are large differences between how those who do not have higher education credentials and are not enrolled and those who are currently pursuing credentials view these. For example, 72 percent of residents currently enrolled and pursuing a degree say keeping up academically is concerning, putting it in the top three concerns. However, only 56 percent of residents who do not have higher education credentials and are not currently enrolled say keeping up academically would be concerning if they decided to pursue a degree, making it the sixth most cited concern. This discrepancy is also prevalent when asked about balancing work and family responsibilities with school; getting the schedule and classes needed to graduate on time; and feeling welcomed, valued, and included on campus; see Figure 15. In general, more Black and Latino than white residents who do not have a degree and are not currently enrolled find most non-cost related factors of pursuing a degree concerning; see Figure 16.
In an interview, a survey respondent spoke of not understanding what courses to take when she was enrolled in a community college 15 years ago. She is now employed at that same community college and discussed that some of these challenges are being addressed as students are provided with more support.
Almost half (44 percent) of Illinois residents who do not have a postsecondary credential and are not currently enrolled say if they decided to pursue a degree, finding high-quality higher education options near them would be concerning. This concern is more prevalent among residents in rural (48 percent) and urban areas (48 percent) than those in suburban areas (38 percent). More Black and Latino residents compared to white residents also express this concern; see Figure 16.
Survey respondents in rural areas spoke of few options for higher education, with one indicating that although there are extension campuses, these campuses are often limited in what they provide.
