What’s the No. 1 reason behind the recent decline in US college enrollment?

💰 It costs too much (26%) – "I’m currently applying to college - the cost of applications, let alone the price of tuition and housing, has skyrocketed within the last decade or two. What used to be an investment into oneself has turned into a game of whether the price of a degree is affordable or not. The FASFA has been delayed for the class of 2028, and I’ve seen multiple people unable to commit to a school until that aid comes out. It’s a terrible system to be in, and it’s a factor that will limit thousands, if not millions, in the future."

• "Many graduates have such a student loan debt that even if they obtain employment in their field, they cannot afford to launch into adult living. Rents are very high, and the cost of obtaining and providing service for all the electronic devices needed to exist in our society is another financial burden. Add the prospect of nearly-eternal student loan payments, and college ceases to look like a good life choice."

"There are “better options” precisely because it costs too much. I don’t know how these colleges justify their prices. Like any good business, the need to assess where the “ bloat” is (which research revealed is all those admin assistants) and eliminate it. That’s the only way to stay in business."

🧠 There are better post-grad education options (13%) – "The smart person will jump on the trade bandwagon and then, after a few years, go to community college and get an associates degree in business so they can get out from under the sink and run a successful company while having somebody else laying under the sink. There are so many good tradesmen out there who try to go into business for themselves but the vast majority fail because they don't know how to run a business. With a little ingenuity, it can be done."

• "I actually work for an edtech company, and I find that many times our biggest competition are either online courses/certificates or students finding that going to a trade school can sometimes be cheaper and have been job placement."

💼 More teens are entering the workforce (9%) – "Multi generational homes and budgets require an injection of cash and this is where it is coming from as the elders age and cannot contribute as much. At the same time the younger generation cannot find or attain housing."

⬆️ All of the above (44%) – "It’s a combination of factors. Overall not worth the higher costs and/or dependency on student loans. No job pays enough to justify the costs of education. Specially when there are other options that don’t require higher education and pay about the same or more than a job that requires a degree."

• "As a high school educator, I see all of these coming in to play (money, options, work, etc.). Students also have a different drive and work ethic now than in the last several decades, and it is much more common for them to fall back on living at home. They are largely unprepared for the world as a whole, and college is daunting to a huge majority of them. Many of them self-sabotage in their last year of school, further limiting their post-grad options. There is an increasing lack of coping and management skills (emotional AND academic) and heading off to college is too much - if you look at the declining college graduation rates, this is further supported."

"Former students of mine who graduated within the last 1-5 years are making more money than I do with 20+ years into my teaching career. These students went to trade school or simply entered the workforce upon graduating high school. Those wanting financial security are no longer getting college degrees - the fields requiring these degrees don't pay out."

• "As a teenager currently part of the college search, I can see how daunting the options are. Money is, at least for me, the scariest part. Paying for a four year degree (not to mention graduate school) just to pay off my loans for the rest of my life doesn’t appeal. So many teenagers are looking for other options because they can’t afford to go to college and they don’t want to end up in debt. I have no idea what the workforce will look like by the time I’m actually done with my education in 8 or so years. By that point, what with AI and the shifting job market, it may be obsolete all together. There doesn’t seem to be a point investing that much money and time in an uncertainty."

🤷 Other/unsure (8%) – "Degree inflation. It is no longer possible for many college graduates to enter the workforce in their degree area after graduating. A few decades ago, a bachelor's degree would guarantee a well-paying job with benefits. Now, many job sectors want applicants to have experience with entry-level positions. As a result, a bachelor's degree doesn't mean what it used it, and isn't worth the time and astronomical price tag."