FEATURE
Students learn about colleges from the opinions of those around them. It is a strong form of knowledge-sharing about
higher education in rural communities. Megan Roberts U.P. Scholars Program Manager University of Michigan NACAC Rural and Small Town SIG Co-Leader
interview with Inside Higher Ed about the Art&Science findings. “College presidents and boards probably put more stock in the rankings than students.” Murphy and other experts say that students are finding informa- tion online from a number of sources, including a recently revamped U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and a diverse set of other rankings, along with college sites. In a survey of parents, Spark451 found that 84 percent felt the college’s web- site was the best source of informa- tion, followed by admission staff and school counselors at 47 percent and 42 percent, respectively. Similarly, Eduventures found that an email from a college and websites of the college and admission offices were the most popular sources of information among admitted stu- dents, said Kim Reid, principal analyst at Eduventures. AFFORDABILITY Recent reports from Eduventure, Spark451, and Niche all note that a primary concern of students is the price and value of college, perhaps stemming from stories in the media about college debt or reports of stu- dents with four-year degrees working as baristas. Some experts believe that the recent debates about debt relief reinforces these concerns.
“We have seen students show great concern about the burden of student loans and how it will impact their future,” said Roberts. According to Niche, 83 percent of students interviewed said they elim- inated colleges from consideration solely based on the total published cost before aid. Similarly, Will Patch, senior enrollment insights leader for higher education at Niche, said that nearly 90 percent of high school seniors last fall said that a college’s published price affects their likelihood to inquire or apply, which is up from 76 percent last year and 55 percent prior to the pandemic. “Coming out of the pandemic, students are settling back into some familiar patterns,” said Reid. “Affordability is a major concern and at the core of their college experi- ence, students are looking for strong academics that will lead them to a career of their choice.” Candice Mackey, a college coun- selor at the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, said the low-in- come, first-generation students she works with are very careful. “They are evaluating their needs, wants, and goals while also consid- ering affordability. Some are willing to prioritize their family’s needs over their wants, particularly if they con- tribute to their family household or have siblings planning for college,”
she said, noting that her students are very concerned about debt. And that was true for students in rural areas, too. “With student loan forgiveness being such a significant part of the national discourse these past few years, both during and after the pan- demic, cost has naturally become a greater concern to these students,” said Roberts. Patch notes that 47 percent of low-income students and 49 per- cent of first-generation students last fall said that they wouldn’t consider spending more than $30,000 on col- lege. This is up from the class of 2023, when 42 percent of low-income stu- dents and 44 percent of first-genera- tion students said that $30,000 was their spending limit. “About 30 percent of enrolled stu- dents consistently say if money were not a consideration, they would have chosen another college,” Kerge said. “That hasn’t changed much and that is significant.”
DIVERSITY
Beyond finances, experts said that students are choosing where to attend college based on the location and atmosphere of the schools. “The most important things that students want in a campus com- munity are diversity of the student body, as well as faculty and staff;
36 • THE JOURNAL OF COLLEGE ADMISSION
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