Public confidence in higher education is at a crossroads, with recent challenges at the federal level like a clunky FAFSA rollout, and conflict and tension at some elite institutions due to campus protests, capturing headlines and shaping American perceptions. However, we know these issues don’t reflect the broader landscape of postsecondary education.

Ryan Rippel shares new research from Camber Collective about Americans’ perceptions of the life experiences that most impact their economic mobility. The research, Americans’ Perspectives on Economic Mobility, features in-depth interviews with over 4,000 people, including an oversample of those earning low and middle incomes. The study aims to understand how people’s perceptions of economic mobility align with data and academic findings.