The public's trust in higher education institutions nationwide sharply declined in the past year, according to a new Gallup poll.

The survey, released on Tuesday, found high confidence in colleges and universities dropped to 36% among U.S. adults, with 17% saying they have “a great deal” of confidence and 19% saying they had “quite a lot.” This year’s data marks a historic low for trust in higher education since the record of 48% in 2018.

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Additionally, 40% said they have “some” confidence in 2023. The remaining 22% were recorded to have “very little.”

In 2015, 57% trusted the role that higher education played in the U.S., according to a Gallup poll conducted then.

While all major subgroups indicated a substantial drop in the last eight years, Republicans had the lowest score with a 19% confidence rating — 37 percentage points down from 2015. Comparatively, the latest poll showed independent voters with 32% and Democrats with 59%.

“While Gallup did not probe for reasons behind the recent drop in confidence, the rising costs of postsecondary education likely play a significant role,” Gallup’s press release read.

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The polling company also noted one of its past surveys found Republicans primarily expressed concern about politics on campus, whereas Democrats cited costs as higher education worries.

The Gallup poll, which was part of a larger report that measured trust across 16 national institutions, surveyed 1,013 U.S. adults from June 1-22. The higher education poll had a margin of error of 4%.