"Continuing the Explore the Exodus from Higher Education" contains new insights into how today’s potential college students are looking for assurance that their time and money in higher education will lead to a better future. We are pleased to release the follow-up research to our 2022 nationwide learner public opinion research study. In 2022, HCM Strategists, and Edge Research collaborated on an initial effort to understand why enrollment is declining in higher education, focusing on 18- to 30-year-olds who did not complete or never enrolled in a 2-year or 4-year college program (“Non-Enrollees”). The survey uncovered that the education marketplace had shifted, and this audience holds mixed perspectives when it comes to the value of higher education. In 2023, the team wanted to build upon this work, not only to see how much, if at all, attitudes and intentions regarding higher education have changed among this audience but to expand our understanding to include current high school juniors and seniors (“High Schoolers”). This was an important addition, as this year’s study also includes a deep dive into where these audiences need assistance and what supports they find most useful during their college education journeys. Key findings include: How higher education must prove value to potential students, who are currently more attracted to immediate, lower-cost options; How each phase of the college journey—pre-college, paying for college, attending college—contains “problem areas” that must be addressed; How students want expert help along the way, in addition to financial assistance; and How media matters—the tone of information about college impacts perspectives on future attendance.
For more analysis, read Student Perceptions About Higher Education from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Want to spread the word on this latest research? Visit our Social Press Kit for suggested social content.
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