Two-thirds of prospective applicants said the economy had “greatly” or “somewhat” influenced their decision about where to apply to college, according to a recent survey of high-school seniors.
The results of the 2010 College Decision Impact Survey reveal that the recession continues to shape families’ decisions in various ways. A majority of students – particularly those who cited financial concerns – said they were interested in attending a public institution. Yet 38 percent of seniors with grade-point averages of 3.5 or higher expressed an interest in private college, up from 29 percent in 2009.
Compared to last year, students who preferred private colleges were less likely to report that the listed tuition, or “sticker price,” would affect whether they would submit an application (33 percent compared to 42 percent). The finding suggests that more families are thinking carefully about the net cost of attendance as they compare financial-aid packages. More than a third (37 percent) said they had used an net price calculator on a college Web site.
The survey also asked students about how they perceived quality. The most important factor was the variety of courses in fields of interest, followed by the strength and availability of academic facilities, the percentage of graduates employed after graduation, and graduation rates.
Conducted in March, the survey included responses from more than 800 students. It was sponsored by Maguire Associates, a consulting firm, and Fastweb.com, a scholarship-search Web site. More information about the survey is available here.
6 Responses to The Economy and College Choice
11272784 - June 8, 2010 at 6:20 pm
I have no heartburn with this news. Public colleges and universities do an excellent job of educating us and our kids. After 30 years in higher education, as far as I’m concerned, going to a private college is an extra-cost option for those who can afford it – and the rest of us can be very well served by public institutions. There is nothing special about private institutions.
rmassa1207 - June 9, 2010 at 8:42 am
Certainly nothing special about the private institions that resemble publics — large classes; graduate focused. The only thing “special” about small private colleges is a hand-tooled edcuation, time on task, close mentoring by faculty, personalized internships offered by dedicated parents and alums, active learning in small cross disciplinary teams, faculty who create new courses and experiences across disciplinary boundaries, and faculty who actually teach undergraduates. Other than that, no difference at all between private and public.
sbarnett - June 9, 2010 at 9:16 am
Whatever the current state of the public/private debate (it is endless and relatively pointless, isn’t it?), I’m left to wonder why anyone would develop heartburn over the economic fact that cost makes a difference.Unless we can agree that higher education should be monolithic and socialised — something that runs counter to all history and educational philosophy in the US — what is the problem with the fact that some of us can’t afford University X or College Y? It may be that some particular individual might flower at X or Y instead of Public U, and that is a loss, but isn’t that the result of our much-vaunted capitalistic system? I teach at a public university that isn’t a research university but a teaching university and I am subject to all sorts of exhortations about dealing with students as individuals and all of the other sincere ideas and values that promote retention and completion.
19682010 - June 9, 2010 at 4:06 pm
To post # 2′s very good list, I’d add the following about small private colleges:professors who notice when students aren’t in class and follow up to see if there is a problem, faculty who interact with students in co-curricular ways (e.g., supervising student clubs), — and faculty who are tenured and promoted primarily because of their ability to excel as teachers, rather than their ability to publish prolifically…Public universities do many things well and are a great option to provide higher education for large numbers of people. But, there are reasons why a Rolex costs more than a Timex — although certainly not every one needs a Rolex to figure out what time it is.
jesor - June 9, 2010 at 4:49 pm
For the public-school critics out there, I’d like to remind you that the majority of public institutions and campuses are actually smaller endeavors. The flagships get most of the press, but the public school landscape is much more diverse than just the mega-research universities. Keep in mind that for 4-year campuses classified by Carnegie as Medium or Smaller (less than 10K enrollment) almost half of the students are enrolled in PUBLIC institutions. The whole “at private liberal arts colleges we treat you better” concept is simply a marketing gimmick to justify a tuition sticker price that is designed to serve as an initial barrier to those with less social capital.
commserver - June 9, 2010 at 6:17 pm
My daughter has just finished her 1st year at very very selective liberal arts college. It offerred her no need to get loans, which is more than the state u. The financial aid for state u. was loan, loan and more loan.