Gen Z leery of 4-year degree paths, surveys show

UB University Business

Chris Burt

February 19, 2021

What colleges and universities can do to reach a generation of students affected by the pandemic and the myriad options they have in furthering their education.

How intent are high school students on pursuing four-year degrees?

According to a new report from Minnesota-based ECMC Group and VICE Media, only 25% of the 3,000 Generation Z teenagers they surveyed believe the traditional college model is the only pathway to getting a good job.

Only about half of those polled said they are likely to pursue a four-year plan. With their options increasing and with uneasiness over their own financial futures growing because of the pandemic, this next wave of education seekers is poised to have vastly different outcomes than their predecessors.

“High school students and their families have faced a great deal of change in their lives over the past year, which is translating into uncertainty as they look to their career paths,” said Jeremy Wheaton, president and CEO of ECMC Group, a nonprofit dedicated to student success. “While this shift in mindset isn’t surprising, it is up to us as leaders and mentors to educate learners about their future opportunities, which includes raising awareness about the variety of postsecondary options that are available.”

CONTINUE READING