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Gen Z Might Be Changing Their Mind About Going to College

We ask middle and high school students if they plan to go to college, or if they feel it’s even necessary for their success… 

Written and Edited by the YPulse Editorial Team
KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • Gen Z are significantly less likely to say they plan to go to college compared to 2019, with a –16pt difference
  • Now, the majority don’t think a college degree is necessary to be successful
  • In fact, middle school students are far more likely to say they need work experience to succeed, showing even the youngest of Gen Z are thinking of alternative future paths
While YPulse data shows the majority of Gen Z and Millennials now say we are in a post-pandemic era, that doesn’t mean that it hasn’t had lasting effects on their world view. And one thing that was seriously affected was their education, which made them rethink everything they thought they knew about the clear path to higher ed they’ve been following for most of their lives. As college decision day has just passed in America—the final day for students to commit to a college or university for the fall semester—we’ll be seeing if the downward trend for enrollment reported last year continues. But either way, our data shows that their feelings about receiving a college degree, and even their plans to get one in the first place, have changed significantly since 2019.  As of March, there was a reported 8% decline in college enrollment from 2019 to 2022, showing Gen Z was beginning a shift in planning their futures. What may have begun as a “pandemic blip” is now...

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