Higher education faces a crisis of confidence – but not the one many might think. Where much of the media and political debates narrow to “Is college still valuable?” that’s not a question most working people are asking.
By overwhelming margins, people without a degree believe that college is valuable, but that it’s not accessible.
According to Gallup polling commissioned by the Lumina Foundation, only one in four adults without a college degree “believe most people can access a quality, affordable education.” That’s the real crisis of confidence: That college matters but too many people don’t get to have the opportunity.
Even when people get to college it can still seem inaccessible. One-in-three students say they have considered stopping their education in the last six months due to cost or stress. “Emotional stress and mental health are the leading reasons students consider stopping out,” Gallup’s report notes. “Students who have caretaking responsibilities, have financial struggles, or are Hispanic or first-generation college students face even higher risks.” And 82% of people with student loans are worried about making payments. About half of people with student loans say they have delayed major life plans because they have student debt.
They know a college degree is valuable – 73% of these same people said a college degree is just as valuable as it was 20 years ago. More than half of adult Americans not currently in college “have considered pursuing a credential or degree in the past two years.” But they think the education system is keeping these credentials out of reach. Making it stressful at best, impossible at worst, for them to access the education they need to get ahead.
The state of higher education, the Lumina Foundation’s report says, is “valued but out of reach.”
We Can Make College Accessible To Everyone
Calbright wasn’t founded to restore confidence in higher education but it was founded to give adults with busy lives and competing priorities access to the education they need to improve their careers and economic mobility. As Gallup’s 2026 State of Higher Education Study shows, the two go together. People already know and believe college is valuable, and so reminding them of how valuable it is doesn’t help advance their education, career, or life goals. They need to know the value of college is something they can participate in, and Calbright’s model makes that a reality.
Unlike traditional colleges, Calbright is:
- Open to everyone. Any adult Californian with a high school diploma or equivalent who applies is accepted. There’s no red tape, no complicated admissions process, and no uncertainty.
- Free for Californians. Students don’t pay for classes, books, or instruction. There’s no fees, and no debt.
- Everywhere. Calbright is a statewide, online, community college that can be accessed from anywhere. For students who don’t have easy access to the internet, the College loans them wifi hotpots. For students who don’t have access to technology, the College loans them Chromebooks. Students can study wherever they are.
- Flexibly paced. Students can study on their own schedules, and set their own timeline for completion, moving as quickly as they want and as slowly as they need.
Calbright’s approach to education is to find ways to say “yes” to student success, and eliminate barriers that keep them out of the classroom. Calbright’s internal research shows it is the flexibility Calbright’s model provides – the ability to study at your own pace, on your own schedule, in a way that is compatible with your life and is accessible wherever you are – that is the reason nearly 9 out of 10 students enrolled.
That approach is what is needed to restore the missing confidence in college.
The link between confidence that “college can be for me” and accessibility is especially important as America’s demographics shift: There will be fewer and fewer “traditional college age” students of 18-22, and more and more so-called “non-traditional” students. That means working adults, and parents, looking to get a college education to improve or change their careers. Colleges need to be accessible to that adult population to stay relevant.
Calbright isn’t just an innovative higher education institution – it’s demonstrating that this approach is possible. It’s clearing a trail other institutions can follow, and working directly with the California Community College system to bring more adult students into the system, and helping them succeed.
Making a great education system accessible to everyone is how California overcomes a crisis of confidence.
