US Higher Education Delivers Huge Economic Benefits. Will Politics Endanger it?
Our Privacy Policy has been updated! The Conference Board uses cookies to improve our website, enhance your experience, and deliver relevant messages and offers about our products. Detailed information on the use of cookies on this site is provided in our cookie policy. For more information on how The Conference Board collects and uses personal data, please visit our privacy policy. By continuing to use this Site or by clicking "ACCEPT", you acknowledge our privacy policy and consent to the use of cookies. 
Our Privacy Policy has been updated! Detailed information on the use of cookies on this site is provided in our cookie policy and our privacy policy. 
TCB Tourch
Loading...
  •  
    • NORTH AMERICA
    • EUROPE
    • ASIA

  • 2

    Close
    • Insights
        • Insights
        • Explore by Center
          • Explore by Center

          • CED
            Committee for Economic Development

          • Economy, Strategy & Finance

          • Governance & Sustainability

          • Human Capital

          • Marketing & Communications
        • Explore by Content Type
          • Explore by Content Type

          • Reports

          • Upcoming Webcasts

          • On Demand Webcasts

          • Podcasts

          • Charts & Infographics

          • Explore All Research

          • Economic Indicators
        • Trending Topics
          • Trending Topics

          • Artificial Intelligence (AI)

          • Navigating Washington

          • Geopolitics

          • US Economic Forecast

          • Sustainability

          • Future of Work

          • Explore All Trending Topics

    • Events
        • Events
        • Upcoming Events
          • Upcoming Events

          • 2026: A Year in Preview

          • 2026 Corporate Communications

          • 26th Annual Employee Health Care Conference - New York

          • 26th Annual Employee Health Care Conference – San Diego

          • Corporate Citizenship Awards Dinner

          • 2026 Corporate Citizenship Summit

          • Explore all Upcoming Events

          • Sponsor a Program

        • Member-Exclusive Programs
          • Member-Exclusive Programs

          • Center Briefings

          • Expert Briefings

          • Experts Live

          • Roundtables

          • Working Groups

          • View all Upcoming Events, Programs, and Webcasts

    • Data
        • Data

        • All Data

        • Consumer Confidence Index®

        • Data Central

        • TCB Benchmarking

        • Recession & Growth Trackers

        • Global Economic Outlook

        • Leading Economic Indicators

        • Help Wanted OnLine

        • Labor Markets

        • Measure of CEO Confidence

        • CMO+CCO Meter Dashboard

    • Centers
        • Centers
        • Our Centers
          • Our Centers

          • Committee for Economic Development

          • Economy, Strategy & Finance

          • Governance & Sustainability

          • Human Capital

          • Marketing & Communications
        • Center Membership
          • Center Membership

          • What Is a Center?

          • Benefits of Center Membership

          • Join a Center

    • Councils
        • Councils
        • Find a Council
          • Find a Council

          • Economy, Strategy & Finance

          • Governance & Sustainability

          • Human Capital

          • Marketing & Communications
        • Council Membership
          • Council Membership

          • What is a Council?

          • Benefits of Council Membership

          • Apply to a Council

    • Membership
        • Membership
        • Why Become a Member?
          • Why Become a Member?

          • Benefits of Membership

          • Check if Your Organization is a Member

          • Speak to a Membership Associate
        • Types of Membership
          • Types of Membership

          • Council

          • Committee for Economic Development

          • Economy, Strategy & Finance

          • Governance & Sustainability

          • Human Capital

          • Marketing & Communications

          • Higher Education

          • Insights

        • Already a Member?
          • Already a Member?

          • Sign In to myTCB®

          • Executive Communities

          • Member-Exclusive Programs

          • Refer a Leader - Earn a Reward

    • About Us
        • About Us
        • Who We Are
          • Who We Are

          • About Us

          • In the News

          • Press Releases

          • Our History

          • Support Our Work

          • Locations

          • Contact Us

        • Our Community
          • Our Community

          • Our Leadership

          • Our Experts

          • Trustees

          • Voting Members

          • Global Counsellors

          • Careers

          • This Week @ TCB

    • Careers
    • This Week @ TCB
    • Sign In to myTCB®
      • NORTH AMERICA
      • EUROPE
      • ASIA
    • Insights
      • Insights
      • Explore by Center
        • Explore by Center

        • CED
          Committee for Economic Development

        • Economy, Strategy & Finance

        • Governance & Sustainability

        • Human Capital

        • Marketing & Communications

      • Explore by Content Type
        • Explore by Content Type

        • Reports

        • Upcoming Webcasts

        • On Demand Webcasts

        • Podcasts

        • Charts & Infographics

        • Explore All Research

        • Economic Indicators
      • Trending Topics
        • Trending Topics

        • Artificial Intelligence (AI)

        • Navigating Washington

        • Geopolitics

        • US Economic Forecast

        • Sustainability

        • Future of Work

        • Explore All Trending Topics

    • Events
      • Events
      • Upcoming Events
        • Upcoming Events

        • 2026: A Year in Preview

        • 2026 Corporate Communications

        • 26th Annual Employee Health Care Conference - New York

        • 26th Annual Employee Health Care Conference – San Diego

        • Corporate Citizenship Awards Dinner

        • 2026 Corporate Citizenship Summit

        • Explore all Upcoming Events

        • Sponsor a Program

      • Member-Exclusive Programs
        • Member-Exclusive Programs

        • Center Briefings

        • Expert Briefings

        • Experts Live

        • Roundtables

        • Working Groups

        • View all Upcoming Events, Programs, and Webcasts

    • Data
      • Data

      • All Data

      • Consumer Confidence Index®

      • Data Central

      • TCB Benchmarking

      • Recession & Growth Trackers

      • Global Economic Outlook

      • Leading Economic Indicators

      • Help Wanted OnLine

      • Labor Markets

      • Measure of CEO Confidence

      • CMO+CCO Meter Dashboard
    • Centers
      • Centers
      • Our Centers
        • Our Centers

        • Committee for Economic Development

        • Economy, Strategy & Finance

        • Governance & Sustainability

        • Human Capital

        • Marketing & Communications

      • Center Membership
        • Center Membership

        • Benefits of Center Membership

        • Join a Center

    • Councils
      • Councils
      • Find a Council
        • Find a Council

        • Economy, Strategy & Finance

        • Governance & Sustainability

        • Human Capital

        • Marketing & Communications
      • Council Membership
        • Council Membership

        • Benefits of Council Membership

        • Apply to a Council

    • Membership
      • Membership
      • Why Become a Member?
        • Why Become a Member?

        • Benefits of Membership

        • Check if Your Organization is a Member

        • Speak to a Membership Associate

      • Types of Membership
        • Types of Membership

        • Council

        • Committee for Economic Development

        • Economy, Strategy & Finance

        • Governance & Sustainability

        • Human Capital

        • Marketing & Communications

        • Higher Education

        • Insights

      • Already a Member?
        • Already a Member?

        • Sign In to myTCB®

        • Executive Communities

        • Member-Exclusive Programs

        • Refer a Leader - Earn a Reward

    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Who We Are
        • Who We Are

        • About Us

        • In the News

        • Press Releases

        • This Week @ TCB

        • Our History

        • Support Our Work

        • Locations

        • Contact Us

      • Our Community
        • Our Community

        • Our Leadership

        • Our Experts

        • Trustees

        • Voting Members

        • Global Counsellors

        • Careers

        • This Week @ TCB

    • Careers
    • Sign In to myTCB®
    • Download TCB Insights App
  • Insights
    Insights

    Our research and analysis have helped the world's leading companies navigate challenges and seize opportunities for over 100 years.

    Economic Indicators

    • Explore by Center
    • CED
      Committee for Economic Development
    • Economy, Strategy & Finance
    • Governance & Sustainability
    • Human Capital
    • Marketing & Communications
    • Explore by Content Type
    • Reports
    • Upcoming Webcasts
    • On Demand Webcasts
    • Podcasts
    • Charts & Infographics
    • Trending Topics
    • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
    • Navigating Washington
    • Geopolitics
    • US Economic Forecast
    • Sustainability
    • Future of Work
    • Explore All Trending Topics
  • Events
    Events

    Our in-person and virtual events offer unmatched opportunities for professional development, featuring top experts and practitioners.

    View all Upcoming Events, Programs, and Webcasts

    Sponsor a Program

    • Upcoming Events

      • 2026: A Year in Preview

      January 28, 2026

      2026 Corporate Communications

      March 05 - 06, 2026

      26th Annual Employee Health Care Conference - New York

      March 17 - 18, 2026

    •  

      • 26th Annual Employee Health Care Conference – San Diego

      April 16 - 17, 2026

      Corporate Citizenship Awards Dinner

      April 22, 2026

      2026 Corporate Citizenship Summit

      April 23 - 24, 2026

    • Member-Exclusive Programs
    • Center Briefings
    • Expert Briefings
    • Experts Live
    • Roundtables
    • Working Groups
    • Explore by Type
    • Events
    • Webcasts
    • Podcasts
    • Member-Exclusive Programs
    • Center Briefings
    • Expert Briefings
    • Experts Live
    • Roundtables
    • Working Groups
  • Data
    Corporate Disclosure Data

    TCB Benchmarking

    Real-time data visualizations to benchmark your governance, compensation, environmental, human capital management (HCM) and social practices against US public companies.

    Economic Data

    All Data

    Consumer Confidence Index®

    Data Central

    One-stop, member-exclusive portal for the entire suite of indicators

    Labor Markets

    Measure of CEO Confidence

     

    Recession & Growth Trackers

    Current & future state of 16 economies

    Global Economic Outlook

    Growth outlooks for 77 economies

    Leading Economic Indicators

    State of the business cycle for 12 global economies across Asia and Europe

    Help Wanted OnLine

    Status of the US job market

    Other Featured Data

    CMO+CCO Meter Dashboard

  • Centers
    Centers

    Centers offer access to world-class experts, research, events, and senior executive communities.

    Our Centers
    • Committee for Economic Development
    • Economy, Strategy & Finance
    • Governance & Sustainability
    • Human Capital
    • Marketing & Communications
    Center Membership
    • Benefits of Center Membership
    • Join a Center
  • Councils
    Councils

    Councils are invitation-only, peer-led communities of senior executives that come together to exchange knowledge, accelerate career development, and advance their function.

    Find a Council
    • Economy, Strategy & Finance
    • Governance & Sustainability
    • Human Capital
    • Marketing & Communications
    Council Membership
    • Benefits of Council Membership
    • Apply to a Council
  • Membership
    Membership

    Membership in The Conference Board arms your team with an arsenal of knowledge, networks, and expertise that's unmatched in scope and depth.

    • Why Become a Member?
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Check if Your Organization is a Member
    • Speak to a Membership Associate
    • Types of Membership
    • Council
    • Committee for Economic Development
    • Economy, Strategy & Finance
    • Governance & Sustainability
    • Human Capital
    • Marketing & Communications
    • Higher Education
    • Insights
    • Already a Member?
    • Sign in to myTCB®
    • Executive Communities
    • Member-Exclusive Programs
    • Refer a Leader - Earn a Reward
  • About Us
    About Us

    The Conference Board is the global, nonprofit think tank and business membership organization that delivers Trusted Insights for What's Ahead®. For over 100 years, our cutting-edge research, data, events and executive networks have helped the world's leading companies understand the present and shape the future.

    • Who We Are
    • About Us
    • In the News
    • Press Releases
    • Our History
    • Support Our Work
    • Locations
    • Contact Us
    • Our Community
    • Our Leadership
    • Our Experts
    • Trustees
    • Voting Members
    • Careers
    • This Week @ TCB
Check if You're a Member
Create Account
Forgot Your Password?

Members of The Conference Board get exclusive access to the full range of products and services that deliver Trusted Insights for What's Ahead ® including webcasts, publications, data and analysis, plus discounts to conferences and events.

Navigating Washington: Insights for Business

US Higher Education Delivers Huge Economic Benefits. Will Politics Endanger it?

28 April 2025 / Brief

Download Brief
  • Email
  • Linkedin
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Copy Link

On April 23, the President signed an executive order targeting the accreditation process for universities and colleges in the United States. This move comes after weeks of actions against a variety of institutions such as Harvard and Columbia University over campus protests, perceived antisemitism, and diversity, equity & inclusion programs. 

Why it matters: Institutions of higher education have long been the basis for significant research programs in the areas of medicine, physics, and applied sciences. In fact, many of the recent innovations benefiting millions of Americans such as mRNA vaccines originated in university and college labs.

In addition, US institutions of higher learning are a significant exporter of education to the rest of the world, attracting 1.1 million international students that have a combined economic impact of roughly

Author

Alexander Heil, PhD

Alexander Heil, PhD

Senior Economist

Read BioAlexander Heil, PhD

This publication is available to you, but you need to sign in to myTCB® or create an account to access it.

Sign In

Forgot your password

Create An Account

 

Keep my computer signed in

Forgot your password

Create An Account

myTCB® Members get exclusive access to webcasts, publications, data and analysis, plus discounts to events.

Great News!

You already have an account with The Conference Board.

Please try to login in with your email or click here if you have forgotten your password.

Create An Account



 

By Clicking 'Create Account', You Agree To Our Terms Of Use

Create Account

More From This Series

Brief

Fed Doves Get Nice Holiday Gift as CPI Inflation Drops

December 18, 2025

Brief

FOMC Decision: Do Three Dissents Mean a January Pause?

December 10, 2025

Brief

Fed December Decision: Not So Clear Cut

December 09, 2025

Brief

September Inflation Pause Bodes Well for Fed Cut

December 05, 2025

Brief

September Retail Sales Show Consumers Taking a Breather

November 25, 2025

Brief

New Truce Offers Stability after US–China Trade Plummeted in 2025

November 05, 2025

View Less View More

Charts

Leveraging Trusted Information to Combat Disinformation

The proliferation of easy-to-use generative AI requires that policymakers and business leaders each play an important role.

LEARN MORE Yellow and white frame illustration

Charts

Rebuilding Americans' Confidence In Elections Must Be A Top National Priority

A hyperpolarized environment, diminished trust in our nation’s leaders.

LEARN MORE Yellow and white frame illustration

Publications

Explainer: Department of Agriculture Funding and Opportunities for Reform

Explainer: Department of Agriculture Funding and Opportunities for Reform

December 17, 2025 | Article

Executive Order Seeks to Block State AI Regulations

Executive Order Seeks to Block State AI Regulations

December 17, 2025 | Newsletters & Alerts

US Considering Australian Retirement System Model?

US Considering Australian Retirement System Model?

December 15, 2025 | Article

Supply Chain Strategies for Tariffs: Foreign Trade Zones, Bonded Warehouses

Supply Chain Strategies for Tariffs: Foreign Trade Zones, Bonded Warehouses

December 09, 2025 | Quick Take

The Supreme Court and the Limits of Agencies’ Powers

The Supreme Court and the Limits of Agencies’ Powers

December 09, 2025 | Article

Deregulation Reshapes Financial Oversight

Deregulation Reshapes Financial Oversight

December 04, 2025 | Article

View Less View More

On Demand Webcasts, Podcasts and Videos

CEO Roundtable: Policy Priorities for 2026

December 11, 2025

US Tariffs: What’s Changed, What’s Next

October 15, 2025

C-Suite Perspectives

Government Shutdown: How CHROs Should Respond

October 08, 2025

C-Suite Perspectives

The Workplace in 2025: More Hybrid Work, More Layoffs

October 06, 2025

C-Suite Perspectives

Shutting Down the Economy? Impact of US Government Shutdown

September 29, 2025

C-Suite Perspectives

What's at Stake in the Supreme Court Tariffs Case?

September 29, 2025

View Less View More

Press Releases / In the News

IN THE NEWS

Denise Dahlhoff on How CEOs Are Talking About Tariffs—without Saying “Tarif…

May 21, 2025

IN THE NEWS

Erin McLaughlin on Tariff Policy

April 07, 2025

IN THE NEWS

Erin McLaughlin on Reshoring Factors

April 05, 2025

IN THE NEWS

Erin McLaughlin on US Reshoring

April 02, 2025

IN THE NEWS

Erin McLaughlin: How policy uncertainty may exacerbate infrastructure chall…

March 19, 2025

IN THE NEWS

Erin McLaughlin discusses the latest on tariff policy

March 14, 2025

View Less View More
  • Tags
  • Navigating Washington: Insights for Business
  • Global Economy
EVENT PORTAL

Forgot Password | Resend account confirmation

Conference Board Sample Web Chat
chatbot-Icon
TCB Logo
chatbot-Icon
C-Suite Insights - Stay updated on the biggest issues facing business executives.
ABOUT US
  • Who We Are
  • Our History
  • Our Experts
  • Our Leadership
  • In the News
  • Press Releases
EXPLORE
  • Membership
  • Centers
  • Councils
  • TCB Benchmarking
  • Ask TCB
  • Events
  • Webcasts
  • Podcasts
  • This Week @ TCB
 
  • Events
  • Webcasts
  • Podcasts
  • This Week @ TCB
CONTACT US
  • North America
    +1 212 759 0900
    customer.service@tcb.org
  • Europe/Africa/Middle East
    +32 2 675 5405
    brussels@tcb.org
  • Asia
    Hong Kong | +852 2804 1000
    Singapore | +65 8298 3403
    service.ap@tcb.org
CAREERS
  • See Open Positions
Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Event Code of Conduct | Trademarks
© 2025 The Conference Board Inc. All rights reserved. The Conference Board and torch logo are registered trademarks of The Conference Board.
The use of all The Conference Board data and materials is subject to the Terms of Use. Reprint requests are reviewed individually and may be subject to additional fees.The Conference Board reserves the right to deny any request.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Event Code of Conduct | Trademarks
© 2025 The Conference Board Inc. All rights reserved. The Conference Board and torch logo are registered trademarks of The Conference Board.
The use of all data from The Conference Board data and materials is subject to the Terms of Use. Reprint requests are reviewed individually and may be subject to additional fees.The Conference Board reserves the right to deny any request.

Thank you for signing up. You will now receive CEO Insights for What's Ahead every Wednesday morning. You can unsubscribe at any time or manage your preferences to receive more content from The Conference Board.

Important: Your Membership subscription payment is past due. We have not yet received your Membership payment. Please click the button below to pay your invoice.

Pay Invoice

Announcing The Conference Board AI Virtual Conference Series

Explore the Impact of AI on Your Business

Members receive complimentary registration - Learn more >>