New National Survey Finds Strong Employer Confidence in Higher Education

Posted by American Association of Colleges and Universities on December 16, 2025

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has released The Agility Imperative: How Employers View Preparation for an Uncertain Future, a report on the findings from a national survey of employer views on higher education and its effectiveness in preparing students for the workforce. Conducted online in August 2025 by Morning Consult, the survey of 1,030 executives and hiring managers is the ninth commissioned by AAC&U since 2006.

Consistent with longitudinal findings from previous AAC&U employer surveys, the August survey found strong alignment between the outcomes of a liberal education and the skills and dispositions employers view as essential for success in entry-level jobs and for advancement in their organizations.

“At a time when overall public confidence in higher education has reached historic lows, it is notable—and heartening—that confidence is dramatically higher among those who evaluate graduates’ readiness for today’s evolving workforce,” said AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella. “It is equally notable that employers recognize and value the vital role of higher education in preparing citizens for our democracy.”

“The findings in this report make the strongest case yet that educating students to be responsible citizens and educating them to be agile professionals is a false binary,” said Ashley Finley, AAC&U Vice President for Research and author of the report. “Employers, especially those under the age of forty, strongly endorse a college education that does both. This is a great opportunity to position community and civic engagement across disciplines as a ‘must have’ for career success.”

The full report on the survey findings is available for download here.

The survey was conducted online August 11–24, 2025, by Morning Consult among a sample of 1,030 employers. Employers are defined as US adults who work full time in the private sector, the public sector, or in government; who hold a job title of manager or higher; and whose company or organization employs twenty-five people or more. The survey results have a margin of error of ±3 percentage points.