CNBC(@CNBC):With a growing number of colleges and universities costing more than $100,000 a year, higher education is slipping out of reach for many students, several reports now show. Just 12% of surveyed Americans say four-year colleges are affordable, according to a recent Lumina Foundation and Gallup poll, which surveyed 14,000 adults without a degree or who are working toward one, nearly 6,000 college graduates, and 2,000 employers June 1-15. Cost is the single biggest barrier to entry for prospective students, an earlier Lumina Foundation and Gallup release from the same study said. Learn how families are covering the tab:

2026.08.18 22:00

With a growing number of colleges and universities costing more than $100,000 a year, higher education is slipping out of reach for many students, several reports now show. Just 12% of surveyed Americans say four-year colleges are affordable, according to a recent Lumina Foundation and Gallup poll, which surveyed 14,000 adults without a degree or who are working toward one, nearly 6,000 college graduates, and 2,000 employers June 1-15. Cost is the single biggest barrier to entry for prospective students, an earlier Lumina Foundation and Gallup release from the same study said. Learn how families are covering the tab: