Students who find their higher-ed studies relevant to their current roles in the workforce tend to believe they received a high-quality education that was worth the cost, according to a new Strada Education and Gallup study examining perceived quality and value of higher education.
Relevance has emerged as a key issue in both K-12 and higher education, with students more engaged in and satisfied with their education when they know their classroom lessons are directly related to the world around them.
The report is the first in a three-part series, “From College to Life: Relevance and the Value of Higher Education,” and examines perspectives from a nationally representative sample of 78,091 adults, ages 18 to 65, who are currently employed and have taken at least some college courses. Findings come from the daily Strada-Gallup Education Consumer Survey.
The report builds on previous Strada-Gallup research signaling the importance of relevance in higher-ed learning. For instance, consumers say “job and career outcomes” are the main reason they enrolled in higher education, more than doubling mentions of any other motivation.
The most valued advice when it comes to choosing an educational path and field of study comes from work-based sources. Confidence in finding a job and succeeding in the workplace are significantly higher motivations among those who have had faculty or staff members speak with them directly about their career aspirations.
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