It is no secret that higher education in America is in crisis. In 2024, public trust in U.S. colleges and universities reached a historic low, with only 36% of Americans expressing a great deal of faith in our institutions. It is common belief that this widespread disapproval is a result of a growing culture of anti-intellectualism sweeping America, rather than a fault of the universities themselves.
In contrast, Dartmouth College has taken accountability for the damaged reputation of American universities by actively working to restore public trust through a series of institution-wide reforms. Last month, Dartmouth President Sian Beilock penned an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal entitled “Is a Four-Year Degree Worth It?” In the piece, she lists the changes Dartmouth is making to restore the public’s trust in American higher education, such as combating students’ ideological fragility, investing in maximum post-grad returns and restoring rigorous, meritocratic assessment of student talent. The University of Michigan, which has faced years of criticism for rampant grade inflation, rising tuition costs and the failures of its nation-leading diversity, equity and inclusion bureaucracy would greatly benefit from following Dartmouth’s example.
Most evident of all the issues currently facing the University is a staggering crisis of affordability. Today, low- and medium-income students suffer from the skyrocketing cost of living in Ann Arbor while the University’s Board of Regents continues to hike up tuition for both in-state and out-of-state students. While the University has made great strides in supporting low-income students via theGo Blue Guarantee program, it still only applies to in-state families making under $125,000 a year. In 2026, the total cost of attendance over four years is approximately $158,796 for in-state students and $345,624 for out-of-state students…