This is a pivotal time for higher education.

Across the nation, public trust in colleges and universities is shifting—but so is the story of what higher education can be. Confidence in higher education is being tested like never before. Yet amid the noise, one truth remains clear: higher education has a vital role to play in restoring civic life.

That’s why our coalition—College Presidents for Civic Preparedness—is stepping up.

Campus leaders are recommitting to higher education’s public purpose: preparing graduates to listen, debate, discern, and lead across differences. While some question the direction of higher education, our coalition is showing what civic renewal looks like on the ground, every day. See more examples in our 2025 Impact Report.

Presidents, faculty, and staff are transforming campuses into civic development hubs, where students learn to engage across divides, discern fact from fiction, and solve problems collaboratively.

Yes, higher education has its flaws. But it still offers something rare: proximity to people who think differently. Classrooms where disagreement is not avoided but explored. Environments where the habits of democracy are practiced, not just studied.

Too often, we treat democracy as a subject to learn, not a muscle to build. That must change—not only for students, but for the institutions that serve them.

Reform is already under way. Campus leaders are preparing students not just for careers, but for citizenship. And students are not waiting for permission. They’re leading.

A national movement is taking shape. This report captures a snapshot of that movement through the voices of real people doing the work—presidents, faculty, students— in their own words. These institutions are putting civic purpose into practice and reminding the country what higher education is capable of at its best.

The work ahead won’t be simple—but it’s underway. And it’s changing what students, campuses, and communities believe is possible. If you believe preparing students for democracy is as vital as preparing them for careers—join us.

Explore our 2025 Impact Report.