A faculty committee report from Yale University tied the public’s declining trust in higher education to three failures: rising cost, opaque admissions, and campus speech climate issues. The report, convened by Yale President Maurie McInnis, said the problem is not a temporary backlash but a consequence of institutional practices. On cost, Yale’s analysis highlighted the “high tuition-high aid” model and described sticker price visibility as a major driver of mistrust. On admissions, it criticized holistic review as difficult to explain, pointing to a rejection rate of nearly 96% in 2026. The committee’s framework also emphasized governance and accountability, arguing institutions must address trust declines with reforms tied to how tuition, admissions, and campus culture operate day-to-day.