National attitudes toward higher education appear to be souring. Half of Democrats and three-quarters of Republicans say higher education is "going in the wrong direction," according to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center. Another recent survey, by Gallup, showed that higher education has had the largest falloff in public opinion since 2015. The public thinks college costs too much. They question whether it adequately prepares graduates for work, and some fear the ivory-tower indoctrination of the next generation. University heads and political leaders will discuss the path forward for higher education and what the system needs to do to regain the public trust in the 21st century.