Six out of ten Americans now say that colleges today operate more like a business, focused more on the bottom line than on the educational experience of students. Further, the number of people who feel this way has increased by five percentage points in the last year alone and is up by eight percentage points since 2007. These are highlights from a series of national surveys tracking public attitudes on higher education, conducted by Public Agenda for the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. The current results are based on a survey of 1,031 Americans conducted in December 2009. These findings suggest that many Americans are becoming more skeptical about whether colleges and universities are doing all that they can to control costs and keep tuition affordable. It may also indicate that Americans will be increasingly less receptive to the argument that higher education institutions need more money to continue to provide high-quality services. Despite the overall pessimism, this most recent survey also shows some areas where people remain optimistic. (Contains 6 footnotes. This report was produced with assistance from Amber Ott and Jonathan Rochkind.)