Barnes & Noble Education’s Annual COLLEGE 2030 Report Examines Higher Education’s Preparation as Students, Faculty and Administrators Emerge from the Pandemic

Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (NYSE: BNED), a leading solutions provider for the education industry, today announced findings from its annual COLLEGE 2030 research report, Emerging from the Pandemic: Reimagining Higher Education. This year’s report features insights from over 2,500 students, faculty and administrators nationwide on the state of higher education and expectations for the decade ahead.

To understand and harness the forces that will have a profound impact on higher education over the next eight years, the report addresses five key themes: The value of higher education, career preparedness, the state of student loans, support for mental health and fostering DEI.

The Value of a College Education

Despite increased scrutiny around the rising cost of tuition and the continued student loan crisis over the past year, one-third (33%) of students say the value of higher education has increased. The majority of the 33% of students who claimed to see an increase in value were primarily community college students, graduate or professional students, and older students (25+ years old).

The reason some believe there has been an increase in value, may come down to class format. Nearly half of students (49%) said they prefer a hybrid class format. However, 54% of faculty favor a fully in-person environment. This poses a challenge for institutions to align the two groups’ differing preferences.

“Students, especially community college and older students, appreciate a personalized education experience and enjoy the flexibility of a hybrid environment,” said Michael Huseby, CEO of Barnes & Noble Education. “In the coming years, it will be important for institutions to continue to create learning environments that provide the best value proposition to the type of students they serve.”

Career Preparedness

Enhancing the value of higher education directly ties to how prepared students are for their future careers. When asked about careered preparedness, students had a positive response: 73% of students said they feel prepared for the industry/field they want to pursue.

However, students are looking for more school support with networking assistance (46%), resume help (43%) and mentors (38%), and it will be important for institutions to offer more tangible career prep programs.

The State of Student Loans

Though college tuition rates have remained steady throughout the pandemic, rising inflation and the end of federal stimulus funding will likely increase college costs, directly impacting a student’s ability to pay.