In the early months of President Donald Trump’s second presidential administration, higher education finds itself squarely in the crosshairs.
The president is actively targeting the U.S. Department of Education by looking for ways to slash spending, forcing employees to quit and urging Congress to dismantle it. Other executive orders and investigations have aimed at international student visas, undocumented students and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
This hurricane of activity follows existing deep skepticism toward higher education. Gallup polling has uncovered rapidly declining confidence in higher education across the political spectrum. Polling by Third Way, a nonprofit policy think tank, found that nearly two-thirds of American voters think fewer students will attend college over the next decade because it no longer offers the advantages it once did.
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Given concerns over the high costs and value of higher education and the shifting landscape around student loans, it’s essential that learners leave college with something to show for their time, money and effort. Fewer than two-thirds of undergraduates earn a bachelor’s degree within six years of first enrolling and only about one-third finish an associate degree within three years.
Nearly 37 million American adults under age 65 have attended college but left without a credential. During 2021-22 alone, a staggering 2.3 million students exited postsecondary institutions without earning a degree—a number equivalent to 14% of the nation’s total undergraduate enrollment.
Even if public faith in college is shaken, its importance for the workforce is only growing.
By 2031, more than 70% of all jobs in this country will require some level of education beyond high school.
While the outlook for individuals without college degrees has improved in recent years, the benefits of a college degree are undeniable: higher earnings, higher labor participation rates, lower unemployment rates, lower poverty rates and a higher rate of civic participation.
For decades, the understanding that a college degree is the most reliable pathway to the middle class has fueled successful efforts to widen college access and opportunity. Between 1970 and 2010, the number of undergraduates at U.S. colleges and universities more than doubled.
Though undergraduate enrollment has fallen since then, institutions must equip their graduates with the tools they need to leave campus with a degree and not just a mountain of debt or what-ifs.
Priorities for prosperity
Fortunately, there are some signs of progress on this front. From 2015 to 2022, nearly every member of the Complete College America Alliance—a 53-member organization of states, colleges, university systems and institutional consortia—saw improvements in on-time graduation rates for students in both two- and four-year degree programs.
Notably, six states more than doubled their on-time graduation rates for community college students, who are more likely to work part-time and come from low-income backgrounds.
Spanning red, blue and purple states, these achievements resulted not only from the hard work of institutions but also the commitment of state and local leaders who understand that while college access matters, completion is the ultimate goal, no matter the political climate. Colleges and universities in these states knew they had the support they needed to invest in and implement programs that could truly make a difference.
Before November’s election, Congressional leaders from both parties had been working together to improve college completion. Last spring, Republican and Democratic lawmakers introduced bills that would permanently authorize, strengthen and expand the innovative and cost-effective Postsecondary Student Success Grant program.
Established in 2022, the program has seen Congress allocate nearly $100 million to support evidence-based strategies for student success and college completion. The first round of funding drew more than 100 applicants. To date, 22 grants have been awarded to colleges and state systems across 12 states.
Likewise, lawmakers from both parties have supported significant expansions of the Pell Grant that supports college students with exceptional financial need. The College Cost Reduction Act, introduced by House Republicans in 2024, would double the maximum Pell award for college juniors and seniors who are enrolled in select programs and expect to graduate on time.
Elements of this bill have been proposed for inclusion in the budget reconciliation bill, which allows federal lawmakers to support measures that can increase college completion.
These common-sense efforts underscore how ensuring more students graduate represents something increasingly rare: a goal that transcends political differences. It remains critical that a new Congress and a new administration not lose sight of the importance of college completion.
Now more than ever, it stands as an urgent priority that’s essential for our nation’s prosperity.
