2025 State of Higher Education Survey - Higher Education Interest Results
Survey
May. 2025
Sample Size:
13,933
Demographics:
US adults
Topics:
Admissions And Enrollment
Partisan Divide
Top Findings:
- Those who have pursued a degree or credential at some point in the past but stopped their coursework are nearly twice as likely (68% vs. 38%) to have considered pursuing higher education compared with those who have never enrolled.
- Unenrolled men are more likely than their female counterparts to have considered pursuing higher education (61% vs. 52%). Unenrolled White adults, at 52%, are the least likely of any racial or ethnic group to have considered a degree or credential.
- The latest data find that 24% of unenrolled adults have considered an associate degree and 18% have considered a bachelor’s degree in the past two years. At the same time, interest in certificates and industry certifications has softened slightly, with 22% considering a certificate and 16% an industry certification.
- Just under half of all unenrolled adults say they are “very likely” (22%) or “likely” (26%) to enroll in higher education in the next five years.