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Lumina Foundation

Gallup and Lumina Foundation are committed to studying perceptions around the most pressing issues facing higher education.

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The State of Higher Education 2023 Report

College enrollment rates are lower now than they were before the pandemic, and perhaps even more concerning, undergraduate credential completions fell for the first time in a decade in the 2021-2022 academic year.

Gallup and Lumina Foundation have partnered to better understand barriers to enrollment, why currently enrolled students may be considering leaving their programs — and what makes them stay.

Download the State of Higher Education 2023 report to discover the experiences of currently enrolled students and the attitudes and beliefs about higher education among unenrolled U.S. adults, including those with previous postsecondary experience.

The State of Higher Education 2023 Report

Results for the Lumina Foundation-Gallup State of Higher Education 2022 study are based on web surveys conducted Oct. 26 to Nov. 17, 2022, with U.S. adults aged 18 to 59 who have a high school degree/diploma or equivalent and have not yet completed an associate or bachelor's degree. Gallup surveyed 12,015 total U.S. adults, including 3,949 who were currently enrolled in an associate or bachelor's degree program, 2,059 who were enrolled in a certificate or certification program, 3,004 who have some college experience but no degree and are not currently enrolled, and 3,003 individuals who have never enrolled in higher education. Respondents were interviewed via Dynata's web-based panel.

The data are weighted to match national demographics of gender, age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, education and region. Demographic weighting targets are based on the most recent American Community Survey figures for the aged 18 to 59 U.S. population.

41% of students enrolled in a postsecondary education program have considered “stopping out” in the past six months.
41% of students said it was "very difficult" or "difficult" for them to remain in their programs in 2022.
47% of unenrolled U.S. adults have considered enrolling in a bachelor's degree, associate degree, industry certification or certificate program in the past two years.

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