Abstract: America is one of the most advanced countries to popularize higher education in the whole world,but an inequality problem is becoming more and more conspicuous in its higher education. This article investigates the inequality problem in American higher education and its formation from a historical perspective, analyzing the approaches that are adopted for the realization of education equality in America, and it reaches a conclusion: the inequality problem in American higher education is historically formed by American state purpose and education policies, it will take a long time to solve this problem.