Polling released by Lumina Foundation and Gallup shows U.S. adult confidence in higher education slipping to 38%, down from 42% in 2025. The steepest decline is among Democrats, where high confidence falls to about half of respondents, reflecting renewed skepticism about campus political agendas, college cost, and workforce preparation. The survey also signals growing uncertainty about the value of degrees in an AI-driven economy. Nearly half of respondents predict AI will make college degrees less important, with Democrats and Republicans diverging differently over time. Lumina leadership and survey analysis frame the central challenge for colleges as updating instruction to support students’ success in evolving workplace demands. Taken together, the data tightens scrutiny on value propositions—how institutions explain ROI, document outcomes, and show that graduates can adapt as work changes—at the same time that political support for colleges is weakening among key constituencies.