Yale University President Maurie McInnis said the university helped erode public trust in higher education and launched a faculty-led process to examine contributing factors. A Committee on Trust in Higher Education released a report with 20 recommendations after McInnis directed “thorough self-examination,” according to statements tied to the committee’s findings. The report places blame on structural drivers, including high tuition-high aid models, admissions opacity, and campus culture. It also critiques “holistic” admissions for being difficult to explain and suggests wealthy-applicant advantage persists. The committee recommended steps such as expanding the income limit for Yale’s “no tuition” guarantee over time and reducing preferences for groups such as legacies and varsity athletes. The recommendations add to broader pressure on elite universities from public trust decline and politicized scrutiny, particularly as colleges face debates about grading outcomes and degree value in an AI-accelerated labor market.