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Updated Aug 12, 2018

By the numbers: Professors are concerned with higher education under Trump

Michael Sykes

Many professors in higher education are concerned about the future of education moving forward under the Trump administration with insufficient funding for education being the main issue, according to a survey of nearly 2,000 professors done by Top Hat.

Data: Top Hat Professor Pulse Survey 2018, conducted May 12-July 20, 2018; Chart: Chris Canipe/Axios
Data: Top Hat Professor Pulse Survey 2018, conducted May 12-July 20, 2018; Chart: Chris Canipe/Axios

By the numbers: 74% of the teachers surveyed said President Trump's administration is having a negative effect on the future of higher education in America. Among their concerns were tuition costs, student opinions and classroom engagement.

  • 49% of the professors surveyed believe a post-secondary education is not necessary for success.
  • 87% of professors believe tuition for students is too high.
  • Professors also believe the classroom isn't engaging enough — 71% of all professors surveyed say increasing engagement is their biggest priority.

Be smart: The issue is much bigger than Trump — higher education has become less of a priority nationwide. State funding for higher education decreased in 41 states between 2008 and 2016.

K-12 data: Census Bureau; Higher ed. data: 2017 SHEF Report, State Higher Education Executive Officers; Note: Inflation adjusted; Cartogram: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios
K-12 data: Census Bureau; Higher ed. data: 2017 SHEF Report, State Higher Education Executive Officers; Note: Inflation adjusted; Cartogram: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

Tuition for two-year degrees in 2017 rose at three times the rate of inflation compared to 2008. Four-year college degrees continued to rise in cost as well.

The bottom line: Until education becomes more of a priority nationwide, attitudes among professors won't change.

This story has been updated to add context about the scale of the problem.

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