HS students cite cost, lack of information, and mental health as the top barriers to post-secondary education

Background and Objectives:

2021 was the first time we ran an online survey of high school students. A lot has changed over the past few years and we wanted to check in again. We decided to run high school focus groups in rural Utah, as well as speaking specifically to underrepresented students in the Salt Lake Valley. Using focus group results and feedback from key education stakeholders, we updated the survey for high school students to take in 2023. 

Our top priority of this new survey and corresponding focus groups was to identify barriers and other factors that affect Utah students' decisions about higher education in order to help more students pursue post-secondary education. We were able to gain deeper insights about what high school students are thinking and experiencing. 

Executive Summary

1. Students see costs as a high barrier

  • This barrier goes beyond merely the cost of tuition. Students are also concerned about housing, cost of living, and textbooks, etc.

2. Students have large knowledge gaps about post-secondary education

  • Students are confused about what is needed to obtain financial aid

  • Students are divided on what to do if they don’t know what to study

3. Mental health and attitudes about school shape students’ decisions

  • Students planning on attending college are much more likely to believe they’d be successful

  • School shootings and emotional bullying are top safety concerns for students

Student Profiles:

Based on our survey findings, we were able to create generalized student profiles based on what their plans were after high school: 4-year school, 2-year school, trade/technical school, no education plans, and unsure of plans. The full report shares more detail about the beliefs, motivations, hopes, and concerns of each group, but you can find the highlights below:

 

Survey Snapshots:

Most students plan to get more education or training after high school. However, according to data on USHE’s website, only about 53% of Utah high school graduates enroll at a USHE institution within three years.

Two-thirds of students believe they need a bachelor’s degree or higher to have the job they want in
10-15 years.

Students think having more information would benefit more than any other change to help students pursue higher education.

Students were asked to rank a list of 16 barriers, and the top four biggest barriers all relate to cost.

 


Click here for the survey highlights. For the full report, reach out to Steph Ott steph.ott@envisionutah.org or Jason Brown jbrown@envisionutah.org. We are more than happy to discuss our findings and/or customize a presentation for you to distribute.