Regional public universities still offer real college value

In an opinion piece, Charles L. Welch and Ora Hirsch Pescovitz argue that the public conversation about higher education often misses the role of America’s regional public universities—schools that enroll most undergraduates at public four-year institutions an

A lot of Americans are being forced to do quick math on the cost of college. Tuition figures—especially those tied to elite schools—land like a warning label on kitchen tables and family group chats. Meanwhile. the public debate about higher education has hardened into something bigger than affordability: questions about whether college is even worth it. whether it’s fair. and whether trust is breaking down.

But in a new opinion piece, two university leaders push back on the way the story is usually told. Charles L. Welch. president and CEO of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. and Ora Hirsch Pescovitz. president of Oakland University and chair of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Board of Directors. argue that the conversation is too focused on a narrow slice of higher education—and that regional public universities. or RPUs. are where many of the country’s real outcomes are happening.

They frame their argument around a Yale report that has been drawing national attention. describing key public perceptions and concerns that have been eroding trust in higher education. The authors list those conclusions plainly: college is unaffordable and overpriced; it is highly selective and inequitable; and it can be biased and conformist.

Welch and Pescovitz say Yale deserves credit for addressing the issue of trust. Still. they argue that several parts of Yale’s conclusions don’t match the broader reality of who public regional universities serve and what they deliver. Elite private institutions, they write, are only a sliver of American colleges and universities.

The numbers they cite are meant to shift the center of gravity. Their analysis of federal data says regional public universities enroll 70 percent of the nation’s 7 million undergraduates at public four-year institutions. Those same institutions produce two-thirds of the baccalaureate and master’s degrees earned at those schools.

Affordability is where the tension feels most immediate. Families. they say. hear about tuition topping $70. 000 a year at elite universities and reasonably start to wonder if college is out of reach. But their counterpoint is stark in its own way: an AASCU analysis using the College Scorecard and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System finds the average in-state tuition and fees at RPUs are about $10. 000 a year.

They add another figure designed for the moment families worry about the future. The authors say 97 percent of financially dependent students graduate with a median debt below $20,000.

Cost. in their account. is not just a barrier—it’s also the reason RPUs enroll large numbers of students who can’t wait for delayed benefits or second chances. They say RPUs disproportionately enroll Pell Grant recipients and low-income students. positioning regional public universities as an affordable gateway to a college degree.

The authors also connect affordability to mission and structure. They write that RPUs focus on ensuring that every student has an opportunity to succeed. describing access—not exclusion—as core to their mission. Their admissions policies, they say, are designed not to earn prestige but to improve lives.

That mission shows up, they argue, in how these schools handle movement into and through college. They say RPUs make transferring from community colleges easy by establishing close relationships with those institutions. They also describe flexible degree pathways. including part-time and online programs. because many students commute and balance work and family responsibilities.

In that same framing, they say RPUs better reflect the broader public that higher education is meant to serve. They cite enrollment of larger shares of students of color, first-generation students, working adults, transfer students and veterans than non-RPUs.

On the cultural battles on campus—free speech. conformity. and self-censorship—the authors again argue that the experience of RPU students often differs from the elite template. They say the breadth of RPU students’ experiences supports viewpoint diversity. while acknowledging that RPUs are not immune to challenges around free speech. They write that RPUs recognize the need to do more to embed the principles of civil discourse and free expression in campus life.

They point to examples in Michigan. Grand Valley State University, they say, has a Center for Civil Discourse. Oakland University, they add, has expanded opportunities for students to engage across differences through its Center for Civic Engagement.

One of the examples is not just a statement about values, but a specific classroom-like practice. The authors describe a recently launched pilot program at Oakland University in which students read “The Civility Book” by journalists Nolan Finley. a conservative. and Stephen Henderson. a progressive. They say the program uses facilitated dialogue so students can question their assumptions. listen more carefully. and return to difficult conversations with greater openness and empathy.

Another point they bring back to outcomes is what they say students gain once they graduate. Like many RPUs. Oakland University delivers what they describe as strong results: OU graduates have median earnings 27 percent higher than those of alumni from comparable Michigan public institutions and 32 percent higher than those of workers without a college degree. They add that graduates build careers in fields ranging from health care to teaching to the local automotive industry.

The piece returns to the core argument: the Yale report highlights uncertainty about the fundamental mission of higher education, but Welch and Pescovitz say the mission comes into clearer focus when attention shifts to universities that educate and uplift far more students.

They close with a statement about what they believe RPUs stand for. In their telling. regional public universities keep faith with the American dream by offering affordable and accessible pathways to lives of purpose. success and engaged citizenship—and they describe that as a mission worthy of the public’s trust.

The opinion is authored by Charles L. Welch and Ora Hirsch Pescovitz for The Hechinger Report on June 10, 2026. The story is described as having been produced by The Hechinger Report. a nonprofit. independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. and is republished under a Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

regional public universities higher education affordability Pell Grants College Scorecard Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System civil discourse Oakland University Grand Valley State University AASCU student debt transfers first-generation students