Generation Z is often described as pragmatic and
cost-conscious. A 2017 study showed just how pragmatic those students are.
EAB Enrollment Services’ The New College Freshman Survey found that
70% of the 4,800 college freshmen surveyed said they visited college websites
to find information about majors and minors, up 4% over the results of the 2015
poll. College costs came in a distant second (45%), followed by information on
scholarships (25%), financial aid (24%), and general information about the
school (21%).
The report also noted that students checking out college
ads on social media sites are still very interested in information relating to
majors and minors offered at the institutions. Just over 40% of the students
said information on majors and minors was the most useful part of their social media
search.
Other
studies by EAB have found that Generation Z students select majors and minors that
will have a stronger impact on their job prospects. That fits with a rise in the
number of engineering and business majors that many colleges and universities
are reporting. A study by New York University found that 12% of students
switched to another field of study when presented data on what majors actually
earn once they enter the workforce.
“One
‘so what’ of this New College Freshman Survey finding, and from the return-on-education
phenomenon overall for that matter, is that colleges and universities should be
thinking more deeply about the enrollment impact of their program portfolio
choices,” Anika Olsen, an EAB consultant, wrote in a blog post. “We find that
as many schools review their academic programs and make changes, they too
seldom and too narrowly factor in market information from enrollment managers.”
