The college selection season is in full bloom and many students have accepted or are considering their college of choice. It’s also not too late to change one’s mind. Determining a good college fit is often left to what colleges tell us about themselves. Some colleges like to rely on national rankings that include factors that have little to do with the practice of learning and teaching (e.g., number of doctoral candidates). Others rely on the records and reputation of sports teams to determine academic prowess, again a dubious metric. Most often, students choose colleges based on two factors: cost and convenience. There are, however, other things to consider and expect when making a college decision, the top eight expectations of which are as follows:
- Less than $10k/year in net tuition (i.e., after discounts and scholarships). Since 1983, college tuition has increased almost 900% (5.6% annual average), according to JP Morgan Asset Management. This increase is more than increases in medical care and housing combined. An important question is whether college itself has actually gotten 900% better than what was offered in 1983. Sadly, that is not likely the case. To be sure, there are some some external reasons for this increase, including the decrease in state subsidies. But that reasoning alone would offer an incomplete picture and doesn’t account for how the average tuition ranges from 4-year public universities at over $10,000 to private universities at over $40,000. The real problem seems to be that colleges and universities have been in an arms race for the superficial (e.g., rock climbing walls) and expensive marketing approaches that have an unclear impact on enrollment and learning outcomes (e.g., sports teams), all of which increases the costs on students. The benefits of technology and better business models can push colleges to the $10k mark, but only if expected and demanded by students and their families.
- Transparency on fees. A deceptive way that colleges increase costs without increasing tuition directly is by increasing student fees. This practice was particularly evident during the pandemic when colleges announced they were freezing tuition, however, they would leave out the increase in fees that thawed the freezing. There are all sorts of fees on campus, including things like student experience fees, lab fees, parking fees, building fees athletic fees, etc. The broader the name (e.g., student experience) the less defined and transparent the fees typically are. Students should demand full transparency of fees to determine their worth.
- AI-integration not prohibition. AI is here to stay, and most colleges seem to be closing their eyes, plugging their ears, and singing Steam’s greatest hit (Na Na…). Recently, students at a major university complained to their university because their professor was using ChatGPT, however, students were prohibited from using it. The race is on for AI integration in higher education and the quicker colleges get on board in a meaningful, substantive, and non-hypocritical manner, the less likely they will fail. As Founder and CEO of Nvidia Jensen Huang intimated, people won’t lose their jobs to AI, they will lose their jobs to people who understand and can apply AI. The same goes for faculty, staff, and administrators.
- Meaningful faculty engagement. Many universities talk about the faculty-to-student ratio as a proxy for engagement, ratios that can be anywhere from 10:1 to 25:1 or greater. That sounds good, but dig a little deeper and one will find that these numbers at best, lack clarity and at worst, can be misleading (e.g., doesn’t represent well 100-500 person classes in the first year). Instead, sources of data such as evaluations of faculty-student engagement that are reported and applied to faculty evaluation, average faculty responsiveness to student inquiries (e.g., email responses within 24 to 72 hours), and faculty dismissal due to chronic poor teaching performance (a very rare occurrence) are more telling. Harvard just dismissed its first tenured faculty member in 80 years and it wasn’t due to teaching performance. Training faculty how to teach effectively and evaluating them on their performance, is a reasonable expectation on which colleges should be accountable.
- Graduation rate. Four-year colleges are now applying a 6-year or 8-year metric to graduation rates. The absurdity of this norm notwithstanding, stems from a variety of reasons including limited access to courses that students need to graduate, bloated curriculum, faculty availability to teach in the summers, mystifying rules about transfer credits, and proper notice of when necessary classes will be offered. Asking about graduation rates and the average time to graduate are sound indicators of college performance. For the sake of argument, let’s pose an 80% 4-year graduation rate as the expected norm, or in grading terms, that would be a B. Most colleges would not receive a passing grade.
- Opportunities to become a global citizen. The current anti-DEI rhetoric belies a key reason to attend college, that is, to learn how to interact with others from multiple backgrounds because that is likely who they will be interacting with post-college. A great benefit of college is to meet people who have different viewpoints and have experienced the world differently. College as the proving ground becomes the place where students can share experiences and see the commonalities and differences among cultural groups. Therefore, and generally speaking, the more homogenous the student body, the less opportunity there is for testing the waters and appreciating differences.
- Robust academic support services. Spending millions of dollars on college athletics and other campus amenities (e.g., lakes, ponds, and rivers) leaves the rest of campus fighting for what remains in the budget. That can mean fewer resources for academic support such as tutors (e.g., including AI tutors), mental health support (e.g., limited availability, compromised access), and professional advising. Almost every student will find themselves struggling at times in college and access to support services can mean the difference between staying matriculated and dropping out. Colleges have been in a race for the superficial because there is a belief that things like a new rock climbing wall will set them apart. Instead, colleges should learn to prioritize and state as much to prospective students. For example, one rock-climbing wall costs as much to build, maintain, and staff per year as one therapist on campus. Ergo, if there are rock-climbing walls (and other assorted campus accoutrements) access to mental health counseling and other support services should be plentiful.
- Job placement post-graduation. There is little doubt that students go to college to learn and grow, however, the ultimate purpose of college should be to find a job. With failing four-year graduation rates (i.e., less than 60% on average), enticing majors that are pipelines to unemployment, and debt that can be a lifelong albatross, it is no wonder that colleges and universities are looked at askance more than ever. At the same time, the best way to secure lifelong economic security, which can also be generational changing, is still receiving a college degree. Thus, colleges should attest to their job placement rates and should have to answer accordingly if not high enough.
The bottom line is the student must be more savvy than ever when selecting a college. With the cost of tuition continuing to rise, students (also known as consumers) should demand they are getting the most out of their expenditures. The best way to discern which college is best for each student is by asking about the above-mentioned expectations. Ask the admissions staff, faculty, and administrators, do the research on what matters most, and then make your decision accordingly. Discernment now is the best path to a happier and secure future.