Rebuilding Trust in Higher Education: Strategies for Addressing the “Diploma Divide”

The Trump administration is using all the levers of executive power to intervene in universities, including multimillion-dollar cuts, investigations into federal regulation violations, visa withdrawals for international students, and ideological pressures. The outcome of this fight over the purpose of higher education could shape the sector for decades. This reflection essay argues that these attacks have been facilitated by a decade-long loss of public trust in higher education. It addresses two main questions: Why have colleges and universities lost the support of society, and what should they do to restore public trust? The essay argues that this loss of support is driven primarily by rising costs, perceived ideological bias, and questions about degree value. By situating these discussions within scholarship on polarization, populist backlash, and the “diploma divide,” this essay moves beyond causes to explore sector-specific solutions. These include improving educational access, redefining political messaging, demonstrating nonpartisanship, supporting their communities, redefining diversity to include social class, and bridging the cultural divide to protect the university as a democratic institution.