A record low of Americans consider college "very important"

Only 35% of Americans say they are satisfied with the quality of education K-12 students receive in the U.S., the lowest level on record and down eight points from last year. That figure is one point below the previous lows recorded in 2000 and again in 2023, according to Gallup polling dating back to 1999.

Other measures of the U.S. K-12 system paint a similarly grim picture. Just one in four Americans believe schools are moving in the right direction, while only 20% describe them as “excellent” or “good” at preparing students for today’s jobs, and about one in three say the same when it comes to preparing them for college.

Parents of K-12 students, however, are notably more positive—nearly twice as satisfied with their own child’s education as with U.S. education overall. They are also slightly more likely than the general public to view schools favorably across areas like workforce and college preparation, though even among parents, positive ratings remain far from majority levels.

The Aug. 1–20 Walton Family Foundation-Gallup survey found just 7% of U.S. adults “completely” satisfied and 28% “somewhat” satisfied with K-12 education, while 38% were somewhat dissatisfied and 24% completely dissatisfied. The combined 35% satisfaction level is well below the long-term average of 45%.

Since Gallup began tracking in 1999, satisfaction has topped 50% only twice—53% in 2004 and 51% in 2019. The previous record lows occurred in 2000, when education was a key issue in the presidential campaign, and in 2023, when Republican satisfaction fell to just 20% under President Joe Biden. Public views on K-12 education have consistently tracked with partisan control of the White House, with members of the president’s party expressing higher levels of satisfaction.