Key points:
- Mental health and finances prompt adults to stop out or delay enrollment
- College claim to deliver value, but struggle to track its delivery
- Cutting costs while maintaining value: The challenge for higher education
- For more news on higher-ed’s value, visit eCN’s Campus Leadership hub
U.S. adults without degrees or credentials still overwhelmingly believe that education beyond high school is valuable and essential for career success, according to the Lumina Foundation-Gallup 2025 State of Higher Education Study.
In fact, 89 percent of U.S. adults without a degree or credential believe at least one type of degree or credential is valuable.
The study confirmed that interest in higher education remains strong, with 57 percent of adults not currently enrolled in a degree or credential program saying they’ve considered enrolling in the past two years. Of those, more than 80 percent say they are likely to enroll within the next five years.
However, many U.S. adults without degrees or credentials still feel that access to quality, affordable education is limited, with significant barriers to enrollment and completion persisting. Financial challenges and the need for flexible programs play the biggest roles in enrollment decisions, while emotional stress and mental health issues remain key obstacles to finishing programs.
Students currently enrolled in programs continue to encounter significant challenges. While fewer are thinking about pausing their studies compared to recent years, nearly one-third have still considered doing so. Mental health issues and financial difficulties remain the leading reasons for considering a break–and are the same factors that drove past students to stop out of their programs.
Five main findings emerged:
1. U.S. adults without a degree or credential continue to see value in higher education, and demand remains strong. Adults without a degree or credential hold all pathways to higher education in high regard, with the majority viewing industry certifications, associate and bachelor’s degrees, and certificates as “extremely” or “very valuable.” Nearly 90 percent believe that at least one type of academic credential offers meaningful value.
2. Finances and flexibility influence enrollment choices, but priorities vary between unenrolled and enrolled adults. Unenrolled adults who are considering a degree but are unlikely to enroll often point to higher personal income or access to financial aid as key incentives. For current students and those who have stopped out, the potential for future job opportunities is the primary driver of their interest in higher education.
3. Fewer enrolled adults are considering stopping out, but nearly a third have thought about it, largely due to mental health and cost concerns. In 2024, the share of enrolled adults who considered stopping out or withdrawing from their programs declined, falling from 35 percent in 2023 to 32 percent. Among those who considered stopping out, mental health or emotional stress was cited about twice as often as cost as the primary reason.
4. Emotional stress, personal mental health issues and cost are also among the top reasons for stopping out. About one in three individuals who stopped out cite emotional stress, mental health, or cost as key reasons for leaving their programs. The leading sources of emotional stress include anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions (74 percent), feelings of loneliness or isolation (60 percent), school-related financial pressures (59 percent), heavy coursework loads (56 percent), and job-related stress (50 percent).
5. Currently enrolled students believe their institutions will deliver the future job opportunities they hoped for when they first enrolled. Between 85 percent and 92 percent of students express at least some confidence that their degree or credential will equip them with job-related skills, lead to a fulfilling career, or help them earn a comfortable living.
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