Measuring Value: High Schoolers’ Thoughts on Postsecondary Education

Title: How High School Students Are Thinking About Higher Ed

Author: Ben Cecil

Source: Third Way

In the face of declining enrollment and deteriorating public perception of higher education’s value, a recent report from Third Way explores how high schoolers feel about postsecondary education and their likelihood of attendance. Third Way surveyed 1,002 high school students in conjunction with the report, which illustrates the strengths and shortcomings of higher education and begins to paint a picture of the post-graduation landscape that high school seniors encounter.

Affording higher education is a substantial barrier for many students seeking a four-year degree. To understand the impact cost has on the decision to enroll, the sample was split into groups by level of concern about affording higher education; students labeled “cost-pressured” are likely to enroll but still concerned about cost and those labeled “cost-dominant” are unsure they will enroll due to the high cost. Nearly half (48 percent) of the students surveyed are worried about cost, with 35 percent of the sample identified as cost-pressured and 13 percent as cost-dominant.

It is important to understand the nuanced perspectives on the affordability of a college education to increase educational access and equity. Over three-quarters (78 percent) of students who are likely to pursue a four-year degree and are less concerned about cost, otherwise referred to as the “college-going base” in this study, view colleges and universities favorably, whereas only 30 percent of their cost-dominant peers feel the same. Similarly, when asked which pathway seems ideal for themselves after graduation, 92 percent of base students agree that a four-year degree would be a good choice, compared to 60 percent of cost-dominant students.

Students’ perception of the return on investment from a four-year degree also varies across the three groups. Only 57 percent of cost-dominant students feel the investment is worth it, compared with 88 percent of base and 79 percent of cost-pressured students.

Climbing sticker prices are one piece of the college affordability and value puzzle, with another being student loan debt. While 73 percent of Asian American and Pacific Islander students agree that taking out loans is worth it for a college degree, fewer than half (46 percent) of Black students think going into debt is worthwhile.

This study also reveals that how we speak about debt in the context of higher education impacts students’ perception of value. To demonstrate this, the question order in the survey was varied so that some students saw questions about loans at the beginning and others saw them later. The findings revealed that students who encountered debt-related questions early in the survey were 44 percent more likely to say that higher education’s value is decreasing. Putting student debt at the forefront of the conversation on the value of a college degree dissuades potential students, particularly those who are cost-dominant. To read about ACE’s work on racial and ethnic student loan debt disparities, click here.

Accessible guidance counselors, need-based financial aid, and career services are data-backed supports that policymakers and administrators can provide to promote enrollment and enhance the college experience. With nearly half of high schoolers questioning the value and benefits of college, the higher education community needs to reckon with the obstacles students are facing and prove that the investment will lead to long-term financial stability.

To read the full report and explore the data, click click here.

—Erica Swirsky