Economic recession has been influencing decisions whether and where to attend college in recent years. A new survey bears out that this trend continues among teenagers despite news that consumer confidence is on the rise.
PriceWeber conducted a survey of 400 respondents, all 17 years old and planning to apply to college. All respondents live in Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, Tennessee, Indiana or Kentucky.
A primary finding of this survey was the prioritization of financial concerns behind teenagers’ college choice. Far more than social or personal rationales, consideration of future employment and salary drove decisions to go to college, and which college would earn their attendance.
This practicality flows into the logistics of how they conduct their search. When asked what they would most like to see from colleges and universities in marketing materials, primary citations include: information about costs and rates, descriptions of majors and degrees, accurate descriptions of students and student life, and statistics regarding graduates’ jobs.
