USC Rossier Magazine

Rebuilding America's Trust in Education

Over the last decade, schools—from universities to preschools—have become a battleground in the culture wars that have divided the American public. From disagreements over which bathrooms students should be allowed to use and college admissions scandals to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic and tragic school shootings, education issues have been front and center. Coupled with rising tuition and stagnant income, these contentious debates and incidents have led to an erosion in trust in the institutions responsible for educating our communities.

The decline in confidence has hit higher education particularly hard. In 2015, a Gallup poll reported that around 57% of Americans had a great deal of confidence in higher education, and just 10% said they had little or no confidence. Fast forward to 2024 and the numbers shifted dramatically, with 35% of Americans reporting a great deal of confidence and 32% reporting they had very little or no confidence in higher education.

We’ve dedicated previous issues of the magazine to the important relationship between education and democracy, and last year, we turned our line of inquiry on ourselves and asked if we still need schools of education. These past issues explored pressing challenges facing education and defended the need for education in a free and just society. In this issue, we focus on solutions to repair the public’s trust in education and explore ways the USC Rossier community is working to do this.

Featured Story

The work of earning trust

As public confidence in schools and colleges reaches historic lows, USC Rossier Magazine examines what led to this crisis of confidence and what it will take to restore faith in our nation’s institutions of higher learning.

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Illustration of a torn blue college pennant flag being held together with tape

Featured Story

USC Rossier doctoral student Zuriel Oduwole nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

The internationally lauded 23-year-old filmmaker, education advocate and policymaker came to USC to deepen her understanding of leadership and organizational change.

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