How COVID-19 Made Higher Education Value a Top Priority
Survey
Dec. 2020
Sample Size:
1,000
Demographics:
voters
Topics:
Covid-19
Student Support
Value
Accountability
Affordability
Career Readiness
Top Findings:
- Value of higher education remains high despite a slight negative shift in perception in light of the pandemic. The survey results reveal that the majority of institutional leaders and likely voters across the board overwhelmingly rate the return on investment of a degree after high school education as either “excellent” or “good,” with only a minimal downward shift in this belief since the pandemic began.
- COVID-19 has increased higher education value’s standing as a top priority for voters. 73% of likely voters (including 61% of Black and 58% of Hispanic likely voters) believe that colleges’ primary focus should be “on delivering degrees that set students up for success,” compared to just 27% who believe that “It’s more important than ever to make college free so that students can get a foothold in their careers.” In addition, 42% of likely voters (including 53% of Black and 47% of Hispanic likely voters) said improving the value of higher education has become more important to their vote over the last couple of years.
- 66% of likely voters (and 73% of Black and 68% of Hispanic likely voters) said it is important to ensure that students who receive a degree are able to repay their loans.
- Voters and institutional leaders strongly believe institutions have an imperative to deliver better and more equitable outcomes. More than two-thirds of likely voters, for example, said that both “making college more affordable to reduce student debt” (70%) and “ensuring that students receive a degree that puts them on a path to education success” (67%) are the two goals of higher education that are most important to them personally. Institutional leaders are the first to acknowledge the role institutions themselves must play to secure greater value for students and taxpayers across the board, acknowledging at strong margins that it is higher education’s job to help students pay back their loans, gain skills, and graduate—and that there needs to be a bigger focus on not just getting students to college, but through college as well.
- Respondents also indicated that institutions need to place a greater emphasis on making sure all students have access to the opportunities and value a college education affords. Many believe that colleges and universities have a responsibility to improve equitable access and that they have room to grow in this area.
- There appears to be widespread acknowledgement from institutional leaders that they must make sure the courses and degrees they offer deliver a return on investment for students, especially as the country faces down another recession. Respondents from all backgrounds also acknowledged that when it comes to “ensuring a college degree is valuable during and after the coronavirus pandemic,” colleges and universities themselves have the most power, followed by institutional leadership of colleges and universities, professors and faculty, and—with the least power—students. When it comes to the steps institutions need to take to see these improvements in value, institutional leaders say they need to do a much better job at creating greater transparency for students and graduates about post-enrollment trajectories, but also provide necessary support systems and shift resources to focus on outcomes for all students.