“I think a lot fewer people are going to graduate from college.” Maggie Callow, student, Pomona CollegeĪnd while most students have returned to Michigan State University this year, officials are alarmed by a loss of lower-income students and those who were the first in their families to attend college, said Mark Largent, the associate provost for undergraduate education and dean of undergraduate studies. “We’re looking for the silver bullet,” he said.Īt private Ohio Wesleyan University, with an enrollment of just over 1,300, a few dozen students decided not to return this fall because the school required vaccinations, said Stefanie Niles, vice president for enrollment and communications. The school is trying to get students to stick around regardless of how they attend classes, he said. College leaders believe some students are tired of online classes, said David Follick, dean of admissions and an assistant vice president.Įven though spring classes are evenly split between online and in-person, demand for the latter is outpacing that for online classes by at least a 2-1 ratio, Follick said. Nassau Community College on New York’s Long Island has seen a sharp drop in returning students for the spring semester. The wave of students dropping out of college has hit schools of all sizes and characteristics around the country, but in different ways and for different reasons. Related: Many young adults choose work over college, report shows “This pandemic has really made an impact on a lot of students’ ability to free up time to attend school.” “People are worried the shadow this casts will be quite a bit longer than the pandemic itself,” said David Hawkins, chief education and policy officer for the National Association for College Admission Counseling. With fewer college-educated workers to fill skilled jobs, the economy could also suffer in terms of lost business productivity and lower GDP. ![]() People who leave college before finishing are more likely to face unemployment and earn less than those who complete bachelor’s degrees, and they are about three times as likely to default on their student loans. The rising dropout rate on college campuses has consequences for individual students, their families and the economy. While national figures on dropping out of college have not yet been compiled for the current school year, the omicron surge and the continued uncertainty around the virus are elevating concerns that the numbers of students abandoning college could continue to grow. Researchers usually look at how many college freshmen become sophomores because if a student is going to drop out, that’s when it’s most likely to happen. The dropout spike was even more startling for community college students like Izzy, an increase of about 3.5 percentage points. That was an increase of 2 percentage points over the previous year, and the highest share of students not returning for their sophomore year since 2012. Of the 2.6 million students who started college in fall 2019, 26.1 percent, or roughly 679,000, didn’t come back the next year, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Students feeling lost, students feeling depressed, students feeling anxious - it’s weighing really heavily on them.” Sara Goldrick-Rab, professor of sociology and medicine, Temple University “There is a very significant mental health crisis. Thousands of other students around the country are leaving college - some because of mental health issues, others for financial or family reasons – and educators worry that many have left for good. As she seriously considered suicide, Izzy sought help and moved into her grandparents’ home in Wyoming to be closer to her extended family. ![]() ![]() Izzy, whose full name has been withheld to protect her privacy, said she had always earned straight A’s, so the B she received in one class this fall was a sign something was wrong. “It definitely affected my mental health.” “We’re at this age where we’re supposed to be hanging out with our friends and socializing,” she said.
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