In your opinion, why is US college and university enrollment on the decline?

"Fewer students are going to college because society is realizing that we also need students to go into blue collar fields like electrical, welding, plumbing. Having enormous numbers of students go to college was never sustainable or appropriate. Many individuals have skill sets that are much better used in different career types."

• "College is expensive and after having a degree it can be difficult for some to find work without relocating. If our country did better to assist students with college expense I think more would go."

"I work in the higher education enrollment so this isn't an opinion but a fact - there are fewer high school students to go to college. Many places have called it the "demographic cliff" and colleges and universities have been preparing for it for years, often using out-of-state recruiters to target states that are predicted to see increases or no change."

• "The pandemic showed the higher education is no longer necessary to get some of the higher paying jobs in the tech industry. Also, people have been realizing that higher education is grossly overpriced and not worth the price for what you get out of it."

"I think college enrollment will continue to decline because not only are less kids choosing to go to college, there are just less kids in general. So colleges are already fighting over less students to begin with, and so many are realizing you don't need to go to a 4-year university to be able to get a degree and good job. Also, with the pandemic, less kids wanted to move away from home, or were not able to, so I think community colleges and regional campuses will continue to see growth."

• "The current generation has seen the previous generation end up with significant college debt with little to show for it. On top of that, they are seeing that you don’t have to go to college to make decent money. Couple that with the minimalist lifestyle changes, and they see freedom with no family/children, no debt, and a flexible job that they’re not worried about losing and this is where you end up."

"I think it's cyclical. Right now, people are making a lot of money in the trades as there is such a need. Once that becomes flooded, people will start heading back to colleges. People go where the jobs are. I think also that the advent of entrepreneurship and "easy money" via online platforms has many rethinking college debt."

• "I think trade schools and just plain experience/hands on training is being seen as more and more valuable. I have seen and heard this from employers. They have said, we don’t care what their degree is in if they’re teachable."

"in my rural area, many people are choosing trade schools which are far cheaper, trades and can be learned far quicker, and the workforce can be entered a lot sooner for a much a higher paycheck than a career requiring a 4-year degree. A college degree is becoming not worth the time and expense when balanced with future livelihoods."

• "My first instinct was that its too expensive, but I went to college and I remember how easy financial aid is to get. I want to think its because the trade industry is rising, but I don't think so (I would love to be proven wrong). I think its because this is the smart phone generation and the ability to focus at the collegiate level has eroded. The students can't handle the same curriculum. I also think the social dynamics are harsher than they were 10 years ago and since college students are quick to condemn their idea of wrong think there's a social element to it as well."

"U.S. college and university enrollment is on the decline for two main reasons: price and necessity. As college gets more expensive, the investment is simply not possible for many people. Additionally, there is an increase in awareness of jobs that do not require college degrees, especially trades jobs. These jobs can make as much if not more money than jobs that require college degrees, and they require less than half of the investment."

• "The political and social agendas of many professors and institutions themselves have devalued the higher education experience. This combined with tuition costs that are insane in my opinion. Tuitions that support inflated salaries of professors who do not actually teach regularly."

"I think high school grads are realizing that university has only brought their older peers insane amounts of debt and stress... for relatively little gain. People are starting to realize that going straight into university is unnecessary. Instead, people are taking gap years, learning trades, and going straight into the workforce. As someone who has a college degree, I wish I had more clarity about the reality of my options 10 years ago instead of jumping right into college with no clear path or plan!"

• "There are definitely several things at play here. Gen Z sees how Millenials are struggling under the weight of student loan debt and have decided they don't want part of that. It's also becoming more acceptable again to go to trade schools for high paying jobs that don't require college degrees. Students are also increasingly under-prepared for college when they leave high school, lacking what would have been "basic" college skills a decade ago. We have also had a shift in society, we used to tell young kids that they had to go to college and make something of themselves or to make a difference or to pursue a passion."