Columbia University, long celebrated as a bastion of academic excellence and free expression, now finds itself at the epicenter of a national debate over the future of higher education in the United States. This debate, shaped by sweeping federal policy shifts under the second Trump administration, has thrust the university—and the entire sector—into a "harsh terrain" marked by funding cuts, political scrutiny, and a reexamination of the value and purpose of a college degree.
In March 2025, the campus was roiled when Mahmoud Khalil, a student activist, was detained after leading anti-Israel protests. The incident sparked immediate concern among faculty and students about the state of political speech on campus. Columbia Journalism School faculty issued a pointed statement, warning that such actions "represent threats against political speech and the ability of the American press to do its essential job." The statement underscored the school’s commitment to First Amendment principles, vowing to defend free speech and a free press across the political spectrum.
But the events at Columbia were not isolated. That same month, the Trump administration announced it was canceling $400 million in federal funds for the university, citing what it described as Columbia’s failure to adequately address antisemitism amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The financial blow was part of a broader wave of federal cuts to grants, research, and other programs that have affected colleges and universities nationwide in 2025, according to The Conversation.
By late July, Columbia reached a $200 million deal with the administration, agreeing to enforce policies related to antisemitism and harassment. The agreement compels the university to bar protests inside academic buildings and to require masked protesters to show university identification if asked. However, the university was careful to assert its autonomy. Interim President Claire Shipman stated on July 23, 2025, "Columbia’s governance remains in our control. The federal government will not dictate what we teach, who teaches, or which students we admit." The agreement, she emphasized, should not be seen as giving the government authority over faculty hiring, admissions, or academic speech.
Yet, the deal has not quieted all concerns. The Knight First Amendment Institute, a nonprofit founded in 2016 that operates independently from Columbia, expressed "serious concerns" about the agreement’s terms, calling it an "astonishing transfer of autonomy and authority to the government." The Knight Institute, which had previously won a federal court case against the Trump administration’s efforts to deport foreign-born student protesters, sees these recent developments as part of a broader pattern. Its executive director, Jameel Jaffer, told USA TODAY, "The scale to which the Trump administration is implementing a sweeping assault on the First Amendment is unprecedented." Jaffer warned that if one institution yields to such pressure, it becomes "incrementally harder for the next institution to resist."
Jaffer acknowledged the difficult position faced by university leaders, but he remains critical of institutions that, in his view, accommodate federal demands rather than stand firm for free expression. "I’m less worried for the Knight Institute than I am for the country," he remarked, underscoring the stakes of the current moment.
Jelani Cobb, dean of Columbia Journalism School and publisher of the Columbia Journalism Review, described the university’s deal with the Trump administration as "the most pragmatic move" among limited options. Cobb, whose latest book, "Three or More is a Riot: Notes on How We Got Here 2012-2025," was released in October 2025, reflected on the "two years of turmoil and conflict" that have affected the campus since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. "It’s a very harsh terrain ... that we're trying to navigate, but we haven’t fundamentally changed anything about how we go about our responsibility," Cobb told USA TODAY. He added that some students have found the situation "clarifying," seeing firsthand the crucial role journalism plays in times of crisis.
The Columbia Daily Spectator, the university’s student newspaper, has been praised for its coverage of pro-Palestinian encampments on campus, which led to police intervention and numerous arrests. However, the climate on campus is far from easy. Senior lecturer Anya Schiffrin noted in an October 13, 2025, column for The Morningside Post that there is a "climate of self-censorship" among student journalists. Still, she told USA TODAY, her students are "absolutely delighted" to engage in discussions about the First Amendment, democracy, and academic freedom. "I would say there’s a lot of us who are using the current moment to educate ourselves, as well as our students, about academic freedom and free expression. And I’d say I’ve learned a lot this year," Schiffrin said.
Columbia’s struggles mirror a much larger crisis in American higher education. As reported by The Conversation, the second Trump administration’s policies have led to swift and extensive federal cuts, while new restrictive immigration measures have prevented many international students from enrolling. These changes come at a time when public confidence in the value of a college degree is waning. A September 2025 Gallup poll found that only 35% of Americans rated college as "very important," down sharply from 75% in 2010.
Despite this skepticism, the economic case for higher education remains strong. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce estimates that 18.4 million college-educated workers will retire in the U.S. by 2032, far outpacing the 13.8 million new college graduates expected to enter the workforce in the same period. An additional 700,000 new jobs requiring college degrees are projected to be created, raising concerns about whether there will be enough qualified workers to fill these roles. Fields such as nursing, teaching, accounting, engineering, and law face particularly acute shortages, a problem exacerbated by immigration restrictions that limit the pool of foreign-born professionals.
The financial rewards of a college degree remain substantial. The class of 2023 enjoyed an average annual salary of $64,291 in 2024, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, compared to $46,100 for full-time workers aged 25 to 34 with only a high school diploma. Over a lifetime, college graduates earn about $1.2 million more than those without a degree, Georgetown found.
Colleges themselves are also powerful economic engines. The State University of New York (SUNY) system, the largest public higher education network in the country, returns $8.70 to the state economy for every $1 invested, according to the Rockefeller Institute. Yet, rising tuition costs—up 32% at private colleges and 29% at public universities since 2006, after inflation—and mounting student debt, which reached $1.84 trillion in 2024, have contributed to a nearly 15% decline in undergraduate enrollment from 2010 through 2022.
Looking ahead, experts argue that universities and the government must embrace reforms to boost enrollment and completion rates. Integrating artificial intelligence, prioritizing soft skills, expanding experiential education, and offering microcredentials are among the proposed solutions. These reforms will require commitment and collaboration, especially given the current climate of federal retrenchment and political tension.
Columbia University’s experience is a vivid illustration of the challenges and opportunities facing American higher education. As debates over free speech, academic freedom, and the value of a degree intensify, the choices made on campuses like Columbia’s will help shape the future of the nation’s intellectual and economic life.
