People walk between buildings, Dec. 17, 2024, on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)2025-05-09T11:01:46Z WASHINGTON (AP) A majority of U.S. adults disapprove of President Donald Trumps handling of issues related to colleges and universities, according to a new poll, as his administration ramps up threats to cut federal funding unless schools comply with his political agenda.More than half of Americans, 56%, disapprove of the Republican presidents approach on higher education, the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds, while about 4 in 10 approve, in line with his overall job approval.Since taking office in January, Trump has tried to force change at universities he says have become hotbeds of liberalism and antisemitism. The spotlight most recently has been on Harvard University, where Trumps administration has frozen more than $2.2 billion in federal grants, threatened to strip the schools tax-exempt status, and demanded broad policy changes. The Trump administration also has cut off money to other elite colleges, including Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University, over issues including the handling of pro-Palestinian activism and transgender athletes participation in womens sports. Harvard has framed the governments demands as a threat to the autonomy that the Supreme Court has long granted American universities. The poll shows a disconnect between the Trump administrations targeting of universities and an American public that sees them as key to scientific research, new ideas and innovative technology. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say colleges and universities make more of a positive contribution to medical and scientific research than a negative one, and a similar share favors maintaining federal funding for scientific research. Lets talk about Harvard for a minute, said Freddy Ortega, 66, a Democrat and a retired military veteran in Columbus, Georgia. The way he took away all that money in funding, impacting things that Harvard has been working on for the betterment of the world. One man should not have that much power, Ortega continued. This is something for Congress to deal with.Ortega, whos Hispanic, also said hes concerned about Trumps attempts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs across U.S. society. I came up in the military. I know the good that those programs do, he said. It changes the direction that peoples lives are going to take. Republicans are divided on cuts to colleges federal fundingTrumps stance on higher education resonates more strongly with Republicans, most of whom see college campuses as places where conservatives are silenced and liberal ideas run unchecked. About 8 in 10 Republicans approve of how Trump is handling issues related to colleges and universities which, notably, is higher than the share of Republicans, 70%, who approve of his handling of the economy and about 6 in 10 say theyre extremely or very concerned about liberal bias on campus. Republicans are more divided, however, on withholding federal funding from schools unless they bow to Trumps demands. About half are in favor, while about one-quarter are opposed and a similar share are neutral. Im all for it, said Republican voter Hengameh Abraham, 38, a mother of two in Roseville, California. She supports cutting federal funds and opposes DEI programs, saying she emigrated to America from Iran as a teenager and worked hard to get ahead in school without the help of affirmative action programs.Your racial identity, nationality and background should not be a factor in getting accepted to college or getting a job, said Abraham. She supports Trumps focus on campus antisemitism. When pro-Palestinian protests swept U.S. colleges last year, some of the demonstrators messaging was anti-U.S., she said. I do not think if you have any kind of anti-American agenda or slogan that you should be allowed on a university campus in the United States, she said.In Harvards case, Trump has threatened to remove its tax-exempt status, and his administration has implemented funding cuts. Those measures are divisive among the general public: Nearly half oppose withholding federal funding as a punitive action, while about one-quarter favor it. About one-quarter are neutral. Charles Jolivette, 43, a college career counselor who lives in New Orleans, sees Trumps education policies as an attack on free speech and people of color.Not only is the president going after anyone he feels is an opponent and anyone who is not compliant, but hes attacking some of the most important elements of our society, said Jolivette, a Democrat. Its rampant bullying from the president of the United States, who is supposed to be crossing the aisle. The cost of tuition far outweighs other concernsA top concern of most Americans is the cost of a college degree. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults are extremely or very concerned about the cost of tuition. That concern is shared by majorities of Democrats and Republicans and far outweighs concerns about antisemitism and liberal bias on campuses among the general public. College costs a lot more than it needs to. To get an education, you should not have to break your pocketbook, said Eunice Cortez, 68, a Republican near Houston.Cortez, whos originally from Mexico, did not go to college, but she made sure her U.S.-born children did and is proud that her grandchildren are getting college degrees. She supports Trump but is concerned that some of his policies, including funding cuts, will make it harder for people who need tuition aid to get an education. She sees it as the government getting in the way of an educated society.The poll shows a divide between college-educated Americans and those without college degrees, highlighting a possible cultural rift that Trump has seized on in the past.Most Americans with a college degree, 62%, are opposed to withholding funding from universities that dont comply with the presidents requirements, while those without a college degree are split, with about 3 in 10 in favor, a similar share opposed, and about 4 in 10 saying they dont have an opinion.Kara Hansen, 40, a registered independent in Seminole, Oklahoma, is a few credits shy of a college degree. She supports the idea of dismantling the Education Department to shake things up. But she said shes concerned by what she calls Trumps authoritarian tendencies and a growing fear on college campuses to speak up and voice opinions.It feels like everybody has a muzzle on, Hansen said. They cant fully express themselves because theyre afraid of getting in trouble, and afraid of Trump.About 3 in 10 U.S. adults say students or professors can freely speak their minds a lot on college and university campuses. About 4 in 10 say they can do this to some extent. Republicans feel their views are stifled: About 8 in 10 say liberals can speak their minds a lot or some on campus, but fewer than half say the same about conservatives.___Gecker reported from San Francisco.___The AP-NORC poll of 1,175 adults was conducted May 1-5, using a sample drawn from NORCs probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4 percentage points.___The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. JOCELYN GECKER Gecker is an Associated Press reporter covering education with a focus on social media and youth mental health. twitter mailto LINLEY SANDERS Sanders is a polls and surveys reporter for The Associated Press. She develops and writes about polls conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, and works on AP VoteCast. twitter