Cost is too high. Pathways are unclear. Options feel limited. For many prospective, current, or former students, these barriers define their relationship with higher education. As colleges and universities face the long-anticipated enrollment cliff, the question isn’t just how to recruit—it’s how to reimagine value, access, and engagement across the entire student journey.

Ellucian’s 2025 Student Voice Report offers one of the most comprehensive views into that journey to date. With responses from over 1,500 learners across the U.S.—including high school students, current undergrads, college grads, stop-outs, and opt-outs—the findings surface one clear mandate for institutions: meet students where they are, or risk losing them entirely.

What Are Learners Asking For?

Across demographics, four priorities rose to the top:

Affordability. Flexibility. Relevance. Clarity.

Students aren’t rejecting education—they’re rejecting systems that don’t clearly show how their investment leads to real outcomes. Whether they’re still in high school, actively enrolled, or trying to return, students want paths that are:

• Transparent about costs and financial aid
• Tied to real-world skills and career growth
• Flexible in delivery (including online options)
• Easy to navigate, even for nontraditional learners

How can institutions help learners?

There is good news! Institutions have real, immediate opportunities to respond. By rethinking how they communicate value, streamline processes, and build programs around students’ evolving needs, colleges and universities can remove barriers to enrollment and retention. That means proactively simplifying financial aid, making non-degree options more visible, simplifying credit transfer processes, and guiding students through clear, career-aligned pathways. These shifts don’t just help students enroll—they help them persist, complete, and return throughout their lifelong learning journey.

Key Trends to Inform Higher Ed Enrollment Strategies

The 2025 Student Voice Report doesn’t just surface opinions—it highlights a transformative shift in how learners perceive and pursue education. From Gen Z high schoolers to experienced adult learners, the traditional one-size-fits-all approach no longer applies. These trends reveal a clear demand for personalization, flexibility, and lifelong value.

• 30% of high schoolers plan to complete college entirely online.
• 59% of dual enrollment students see real value in upskilling—even before graduating high school.
• 87% of college students intend to pursue additional degrees or credentials.
• 79% of college grads, once informed, say non-degree programs are valuable for their careers.
• Among stop-outs, career advancement and personal fulfillment top the list of motivators to return.

These findings point to a profound shift in how learners view education—not as a one-time degree but as a lifelong resource.

For institutions, the path forward means designing experiences that reflect this evolution. That includes making online and hybrid learning seamless, clearly communicating pathways for continued education, and embedding workforce-aligned credentials throughout the student journey. Colleges that adapt quickly will not only meet rising learner expectations—they’ll also build sustainable, future-ready enrollment strategies.

Want the Full Picture?

The 2025 Student Voice Report breaks down these findings in detail, with strategies for how institutions can better:

• Re-engage stop-outs with clear completion pathways
• Reach high school students earlier, through career-aligned messaging
• Elevate non-degree programs and workforce-aligned credentials
• Build lifelong learning pipelines across all stages of student life

Download the full report to access data, insights, and actionable strategies to help your institution thrive in the face of change.