By Sara Mohr, Pforzheimer Foundation Fellow, and Robert B. Townsend, Director of Humanities, Arts, and Culture Programs
High school and college students often view college as a stepping stone on the path to a future career. But according to findings from recent interviews with high school and college students sponsored by the Academy’s Humanities Indicators, students also recognize the role college can play in preparing them to be better citizens and lead more fulfilling lives. The study also found that most of the students interviewed felt more comfortable with STEM subjects than subjects that are more text based.
For this study, NORC at the University of Chicago conducted two phases of research with students in 2025. First, in April and May of 2025, NORC held four focus groups with high school students—two in person and two virtually. Then, between September and November of 2025, NORC conducted twenty-five in-depth virtual interviews with college students, primarily recruiting students who were either undecided about their major or were majoring in the humanities. The participants in both phases represented a variety of demographic backgrounds, including gender, race, urbanicity, and parent education level. The students were asked about their decision-making processes about attending college, how their academic interests are developing, and what goals they hope to pursue beyond college.
Why Attend College?
Despite recent discussions in the media and policies from the Trump administration emphasizing the return on investment for a college degree, the interviews for this study found that high school and college students view college as valuable for reasons beyond careers and earnings. While all of the students described college as important for career preparation, most did not see that as its sole purpose. Instead, the vast majority of students viewed college as an opportunity for both personal and professional growth, and thought of their futures not only in terms of work but also of who they want to become as whole people.
Although career preparation was the most common reason high schoolers gave for attending college, many connected their future careers to the independence and opportunities they hoped a successful career would provide. For example, one high school student talked about their interest in sports cars and looked forward to earning enough money to pursue that passion. Another high school student hoped to work in environmental science in part because it would allow them to travel both throughout the United States and internationally, including to places like the Congo. A third also described wanting to travel, experience different cultures, and “do something that I love or . . . I’m satisfied with but while also making money off of it.” While earning a good salary was important to the high schoolers—especially given concerns about the cost of attending college—they also emphasized the value of intellectual enrichment and personal fulfillment and growth when thinking about their futures.
A few ninth- and tenth-grade students said that increasing their general knowledge was the primary reason why they wanted to attend college. Among eleventh- and twelfth-grade students, however, college was more often understood as an opportunity for personal growth. These students described college as a place to build social connections and gain a deeper understanding of the world. As one upperclassman explained, if you have the opportunity to go to college, you should take it because “it’s your responsibility to be a good citizen of society and to be able to contribute.”
Reasons for attending college remained largely consistent among college students, who often viewed not going to college as limiting their options for the future. Nearly all college students saw earning a degree as a path to more career choices, higher-paying jobs, and more structured routes to professional success. One student, who did not want to reduce the value of college solely to career choices, conceded, “I feel like since I’m paying so much for college, I don’t want to just leave here and get nothing out of it.” Socioeconomic factors also influenced how college students understood the value of attending college. Nearly all of the first-generation students saw college as a stepping stone to a good career and healthy income, though only one student noted earning a high salary as the primary reason for pursuing a future career. Another first-generation student said, “I feel like I would be miserable if it was really just for a career in the future.”
College students also pointed to personal development as an important reason for attending college. Like the high school students, college students were especially excited about the opportunities college could create for travel. One college student shared, “I’ve always said this since I was in middle school that I . . . want to live outside of the U.S. and I want to travel. One of the big things I want to do is travel more just to see what country I would fit in.” Regardless of the fields of study or career interests, students consistently described college as preparation for a life that would give them the freedom and resources to travel and explore.
College students also described college as an opportunity to gain independence and develop an identity separate from that of their family and the influence of their hometown. One college student shared that what they most wanted to get out of their college experience is “just finding out who I am and not having my parents’ influence, like, just kind of putting them to the side and really finding out who I am as a person.” Other college students viewed college as a place for social growth, where they could meet new people and interact with people from different backgrounds. As one college student said, “If I were just looking for the degree, I could have done online college or community college. So, I think the people aspect is really important to me as well.” For these students, the opportunity to meet and learn from others in college was not only socially valuable, but also part of becoming a more informed and engaged citizen. Though most of them feel they are taking the necessary steps toward a fruitful career, they emphasized that the value of college extends beyond professional preparation. One college student shared that they are also “hoping to get lifelong friendships, a better outlook on the world, I guess the tools to be, I mean, I hate the term, but, like, a global citizen, just being more aware of what’s going on and understanding what you could do to help change for the better.” Overall, both high school and college students saw the benefits of attending college as reaching far beyond career prospects alone.
The high school focus group participants were asked about who they consulted for advice when deciding whether to attend college. The students reported speaking with both family and friends, though most did not feel pressured to pursue a particular path. One of the younger high school students shared that “my parents have always been supportive of what I chose to do and never really told me to do something.” Another student echoed this sentiment, saying, “I’ve never been told ‘Don’t do this.’ I never really changed my idea of what I want to do growing up.” Eleventh- and twelfth-grade students reported similar experiences. While many of them had at least one person in their life who had followed the path they hoped to pursue, like the ninth and tenth graders, they did not feel pressured to choose one path over another.
Favorite Subjects and Choosing a Major
Beyond the broader questions about why students would (or should) attend college, the study found a substantial preference for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects. Three-quarters of the high school students identified a STEM subject as their favorite, citing both a natural aptitude and an interest in problem-solving. One student noted a preference for science subjects “because I don’t have to memorize as much. I can intuitively figure out sort of what’s going on, like in physics,” while another student indicated an interest “because of the different branches that there are and the different ways of science that you can learn.”
Conversely, when students were asked about their least favorite subjects, their responses were more evenly split between STEM and humanities subjects. Their reasons varied from general difficulties with the content or necessary skills, to a more generalized complaint that they found the material uninteresting. A high school student who expressed a dislike for geometry said, “Math hasn’t really been my strong suit, but I think the class itself is fun, but just the struggling part is really one thing.” High school students who reported English or history as their least favorite subject frequently mentioned not liking or struggling with aspects of reading and writing. Other students expressed discomfort with what they perceived as the subjectivity of English and history, preferring the clearer right and wrong answers characteristic of their STEM courses.
The transition from high school to college did not appear to significantly affect which subjects students identified as their favorites or least favorites. College students reported disliking a particular area of study because of the complexity of the material, memorization requirements, or a perceived lack of practical use or value for the subject matter. Nearly every college student who said that history was their least favorite subject mentioned that they struggled with memorization, echoing what some of their peers expressed as a reason for disliking science. However, while high school students spoke more often about the benefits of humanistic skills, college students frequently questioned the practical usefulness of these subjects. One college student explained their distaste for English and history by saying, “A lot of the things in those classes, I didn’t see how I will ever use [them] in my life.”
While most of the college students shared that their favorite and least favorite subjects remained largely consistent from high school into college, students who developed new interests or changed their opinions about previously disliked subjects often credited exceptional teachers or professors for that change. When asked about what drew them to their favorite subject, one college student emphasized the role of engaging teachers: “Definitely the professor and how well I’m able to connect with the professor. Because I do enjoy learning, but if it feels more so like you’re being talked at rather than just we’re in a process of learning together, then it’s hard to really connect with the coursework.” Another college student shared that although they found their economics class difficult, good professors “helped [me] enjoy it more than I would have with another professor that’s less excited.”
Highly engaged college professors were also able to help students develop a new appreciation for subjects they had previously disliked in high school. One student described this shift while discussing a literature course on the Vietnam War: “I didn’t really like history as much in high school, but the professor made it super interesting . . . I think that’s maybe changed my mind, and I really appreciate history a little bit more.” Students also pointed out instances when a negative experience with a teacher could turn them off to a subject they had previously enjoyed. One college student shared, “I like all of my classes, except if the professor sucks. I think I’ve only had 3 classes that I didn’t like, and 2 of them were not because of the subject [but] because [of] the professor, and then the other one was math.”
When deciding which paths to pursue when picking a college major, both high school and college students viewed whether a subject was enjoyable or not as just one piece of the puzzle. Their choices of potential college majors often reflected a combination of variables described above, though these factors varied from student to student. Among ninth and tenth graders, most expressed interest in studying a STEM-related subject, while eleventh and twelfth graders were more evenly divided between STEM, professional, and humanities majors. High school students in general paid particular attention to the possible career opportunities associated with different college majors—though they rarely focused on financial considerations alone in their decision-making. For example, one upperclassman shared that when considering what to study, they weighed not only the likelihood of steady employment but also the possibility of using their career to make a positive impact on the world. Uncertainty about career opportunities was a common reason students gave for avoiding a major in the humanities. They associated degrees in English or history with teaching careers and struggled to identify other professional pathways connected to these disciplines.
College students also described choosing a major based on a combination of factors, though they prioritized engagement, aptitude with the material, and long-term satisfaction over purely financial or practical considerations. Similar to the high school students, the college students tended to imagine only direct career paths, such as nursing and education, in which specific majors clearly corresponded to a profession. Some of them expressed hesitation about pursuing certain fields of study that did not seem to offer clear employment opportunities. At the same time, college students were also clear that career considerations were only part of their decision-making process. Many also considered their passions and the personal impact of an area of study. One college student, referencing a potential English and literature major, said, “I just want to have a better understanding of the things I enjoy, and about being alive.” Another college student noted that their choice of major “definitely came down to what I was passionate about.”
Job security and potential careers were also a common reason college students reported second guessing their chosen major. Some students looked at the fruitful careers of their peers and wondered if they would be able to achieve the same in their current field of study. For instance, one student majoring in graphic design expressed concern about the role of generative AI in creating graphics.
This research was undertaken as part of the development of a new survey instrument for young people. In September, the project will release a more detailed set of findings from the interviews, focused primarily on the concerns of humanities faculty and administrators. That report will explore in greater detail how students perceive the humanities, and how their own reading and writing abilities fit into their thinking about the field. The project will administer the survey to a much larger sample of students over the coming year, allowing for a more granular analysis of the differences and attitudes across various demographic categories, and generating findings that will be relevant to faculty and administrators across a wide range of academic disciplines.
If you have questions about the research, please contact Program Director Robert Townsend at rtownsend@amacad.org.