<P> According to Pew Research Center and Gallup poll surveys conducted in 2017, public opinion about US colleges has been declining, especially among Republicans and the white working class . The higher education industry has been criticized for being unnecessarily expensive, providing a difficult - to - measure service which is seen as vital but in which providers are paid for inputs instead of outputs, and which is beset with federal regulations which drive up costs, and with payments not coming from users but from third parties.In 2018, a Pew survey found that 61 percent of those polled said that US higher education was headed in the wrong direction . </P> <P> Unlike the tertiary education system of the UK and Australia, American education is unique in the world to place strong emphasis on Liberal Arts education in its higher education curriculum . </P> <P> In 2012, the US peaked at a total of 4,726 Title IV - eligible, degree - granting institutions: 3,026 4 - year institutions and 1,700 2 - year institutions . By 2014--15, the total had declined to 4,627 institutions . </P> <P> In 2010, the US peaked at more than 21 million students in higher education, roughly 5.7% of the total population . About 13 million of these students were enrolled full - time which was 81,000 students lower than 2010 . Total enrollment had fallen to 20.4 million students by fall 2015 . </P>

How many universities are there in the united states of america
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