Views of U.S. adults concerning colleges and universities were surveyed in 1982, and comparisons were made for college graduates, persons who attended but did not graduate from college, and persons who never attended college. Of 4,200 adults 18 years old and older who were mailed questionnaires, 1,188 responded. The data were weighted to make respondents representative of the adult population. Findings are presented concerning the following topics: the general public's feelings about federal support of higher education; feelings about how to pay for higher education; perceptions of the value and role of higher education; reasons why people attend or do not attend college, and sources of information about higher education. Findings include: 77.4 percent felt the federal government should continue to provide low-interest loans to middle-income students; and respondents tended to see higher education as a means to very specific ends, such as to a career and technological advancements, and to view science-related and professional programs as the most important college curricula. In addition to a summary of the results and detailed findings, information is presented on the research methodology, and a questionnaire is appended. (SW)