"Gen Zers were raised on an American Dream that's slowly disappearing from view. They followed in the footsteps of their parents, who were once told that excelling in school and landing a spot at a top college would lead to success, a house, and a six-figure career-but broadly speaking, that's no longer the case. People are pointing fingers at universities, demanding that they ease costs and provide students with the skills they need to find jobs."
"Seven in 10 Americans say the U.S. higher education system is heading in the wrong direction, according to recent data from the Pew Research Center. It's up from only about 56% of Americans who said the same in 2020, signaling growing discontent over tuition costs and the ability of colleges to set pupils up for gainful employment. Simultaneously, the study notes, the Trump administration is cracking down on elite U.S. universities."
"Earlier this month, nine schools-including Brown, Dartmouth, MIT, University of Virginia, and Vanderbilt-were sent a document titled "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education." It asked schools to pledge allegiance to conservative values and policies, or risk losing their federal funding. The policies instruct colleges to prohibit factors such as gender or race from being considered in admissions decisions; give free tuition to students pursuing "hard sciences"; maintain bipartisan neutrality; and cap international undergraduate enrollment at 15%."
Gen Z faces eroding prospects from a once-promised American Dream tied to top colleges, steady careers, and homeownership. Many families expected that academic excellence and admission to elite institutions would translate into stable, high-paying jobs. Public confidence in higher education has declined, with 70% of Americans saying the system is heading in the wrong direction, up from 56% in 2020. Concerns center on rising tuition and colleges' effectiveness in preparing students for gainful employment. The Trump administration has pressured elite universities to adopt conservative policies, linking federal funding to specific admissions and enrollment rules. Universities warn that political mandates threaten academic freedom, prompting legal challenges and leadership resignations.
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