In this milestone 300th episode, Sophie Nguyen, Senior Policy Manager at New America, joins Dustin to unpack the newest findings from the new 2025 Varying Degrees report — a data-rich look at how Americans view the role, value, and future of higher education. From surprising bipartisan agreement to the communication failures of institutions, this episode reveals what colleges need to know and do to rebuild public trust and deliver on their promise.

This episode includes a sponsored question in partnership with Brian LeDuc, founder of Learning, Designed — a consulting practice and newsletter focused on helping higher ed institutions design more student-centered systems and strategies.

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Guest Name: Sophie Nguyen - Senior Policy Manager at New America

Guest Social: LinkedIn

Guest Bio: Sophie Nguyen is a senior policy manager with the higher education team at New America. Her work focuses on college completion and public opinion in higher education. Nguyen leads Varying Degrees, New America’s annual survey that looks into how Americans perceive important higher education issues regarding value, funding, and accountability. Nguyen also manages the HigherEd Public Opinion Hub, an online repository of higher education surveys, and co-authors Public Insight, New America's monthly newsletter that provides analysis on survey findings. Her work on public opinion has been featured in the New York Times, NPR, Inside Higher Ed, Higher Ed Dive, and other news outlets.

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Connect With Our Host:
Dustin Ramsdell
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/

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