Students want college for growth as well as jobs, survey finds

By AI, Created 5:09 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – A new survey of 872 undergraduates found that students value college for personal growth, identity formation and community contribution nearly as much as for career outcomes. The findings suggest colleges may need to expand access to mentoring and internships, which students rate as highly valuable and linked to higher wellbeing.

Why it matters: - The survey challenges the idea that students view college mainly as a job pipeline. - Students said college should help build purpose, identity, and personal growth, not just earnings. - The findings point to a gap between the experiences students value most and the experiences many students can actually access.

What happened: - The LearningWell Coalition released a survey called “What Students Value in College.” - The poll was conducted by Morning Consult in January 2026. - The survey included 872 undergraduate students ages 18 to 34 in two- and four-year degree programs. - The research was done with the American Association of Colleges and Universities and Morning Consult. - The release was dated May 13, 2026, from Washington, D.C.

The details: - More than a third of students named career outcomes as their main reason for attending college. - A similar share, 38%, cited intellectual growth, personal growth, identity formation, or giving back to their community. - Lower-income and first-generation students were less likely to prioritize career motivations. - 32% of students from households earning under $50,000 cited career motivations, compared with 48% of students from households earning over $100,000. - 76% of students said having a mentor was “very” or “extremely” valuable. - Students with a faculty or staff mentor reported higher wellbeing scores on the PERMA framework, 7.12 versus 6.62 for those without one. - Internships ranked as the second most valued experience in the survey. - 78% rated internships as “very” or “extremely” valuable. - Only experiences exposing students to people with different backgrounds, viewpoints, or cultures ranked slightly higher at 79%. - Students who had participated in internships reported higher wellbeing, 7.22 versus 6.65 for those without internships. - Only 39% of students reported participating in an internship. - 53% reported having a faculty or staff mentor. - Nearly half of students said they did not participate in one of the most influential college experiences highlighted in the survey. - The LearningWell Coalition said relationships with faculty and staff and opportunities to apply learning in real-world contexts were the strongest contributors to student wellbeing.

Between the lines: - The survey gives colleges evidence to push back on a narrow higher-ed debate focused only on first-year earnings or return on investment. - The data suggests that personal development and practical preparation are not competing goals for students. - Access looks like the core problem, since the most valued experiences also appear to be the least available. - The results suggest colleges may need to build mentoring and internship opportunities more consistently into the undergraduate experience. - Keith Buffinton, executive director of the LearningWell Coalition, said students are looking for enduring benefits such as purpose and identity, not just economic outcomes. More information

What’s next: - Colleges and universities may use the findings to rethink how they measure educational value. - The survey points to a need for broader access to mentoring and internships, especially for students who are less likely to prioritize career outcomes. - The LearningWell Coalition said it will continue advancing approaches that support lifelong wellbeing, purpose, and engagement.

The bottom line: - Students want college to prepare them for work and for life, and the institutions that can deliver both may have the strongest case for their value.