Although attending college is about getting an education, potential students don’t pick an institution based solely on available academic programs. There are nonacademic considerations, as students want to feel connected to campus, be in a safe environment and have job opportunities post-graduation.
Here are examples of nonacademic factors students research during the college search process, according to admissions experts.
Nonacademic Factors Students Consider
Cost
The cost of college can be daunting, especially when looking at the sticker price. The average tuition and fees for the 2023-2024 school year was $42,162 at private colleges, $23,630 for out-of-state students at public universities and $10,662 for in-state residents at public schools, per U.S. News data on ranked colleges.
However, most students don’t pay the full sticker price due to federal, state and institutional financial aid.
[Read: What to Know About Early Action, Early Decision in College Admissions.]
Forty-six percent of students weigh financial aid and affordable tuition as two of the top reasons they select a college, according to the 2024 First Year Experience survey from EAB, an education firm that provides research, technology and advisory services.
“Cost has always been an important factor, but across the last several years, it has become even more important,” says Michael Koppenheffer, vice president of Enroll360 marketing and analytics at EAB. Affordability is an “issue that students and families are increasingly concerned about.”
Location
Some students prefer to stay closer to home and attend a state school or community college, while others want to live in a different region of the country or abroad.
However, it’s not always just about the proximity to home or whether the college is located in a city, rural or suburban area. Some prospective students are also paying attention to the politics within states, experts say.
“Some students are pretty adamant about states that they don’t want to be in and sometimes that has to deal with whether or not the state tends to lean more conservative or liberal,” says Stacy Richardson, director of college counseling at the Potomac School in Virginia. “There are some students who are very adamant that they want to be in a southern school, some who really want to be in Florida, some who are good with Texas and then other students who say, ‘They are not interested in going that far south.’ I think location has a big impact on their decision and also setting.”
Size
Colleges vary in size, from enrolling a few hundred students to tens of thousands. Students should determine if they learn better in small classrooms — which provide more personalized attention and professors who often know everyone by name — or large, lecture hall-style environments, experts say.
Outside of an academic setting, a school’s size may determine what type of extracurricular activities and sports teams are available.
[Read: Consider Faculty Diversity When Applying to College.]
Community
Students want to feel like they belong, experts say. They may seek out diversity among students and faculty members, resources on campus for various identity groups — such as LGBTQ+ centers and veteran affairs offices — or certain clubs or organizations that align with their hobbies and interests.
“They don’t want to go to a place, unless they choose to, where everybody looks alike, everybody thinks alike and they leave with the same attributes that they entered” with, says Mary Banks, director of admissions consulting at Quad Education Group, an admissions consulting service.
Support Services
Thirty percent of EAB survey respondents indicated that internship and other experiential learning opportunities — such as study abroad, research or service learning — were among their top factors in the college search, and 28% looked for demonstrated post-graduation job success.
Beyond experiential learning, many colleges offer support services outside the classroom, such as advising, tutoring, mental health counseling and support groups, and health services.
Safety
In the EAB survey, 29% of students indicated that a safe campus environment was one of the reasons they enrolled in their current college or university.
“It’s not the overwhelming reason that people choose the school that they go to, but it is one of the important factors,” Koppenheffer says.
However, it’s not just about physical safety — such as potentially being a victim of a crime — but also psychological safety, he says. The EAB survey found that 61% of students believe a safe campus provides mental health support and 55% say it allows for freedom of expression.
[READ: 9 College Application Tasks for the Summer Before Senior Year]
“So do I feel comfortable expressing my identity, being myself on campus, being accepted and belonging?” Koppenheffer says. “Because of that, I would guess that the recent political unrest on campus is going to be something that, for some students, is going to affect their feeling of safety and it’s going to drive their decisions.”
Other Nonacademic Tips for the College Search
While doing research, have an open mind about different types of institutions and what’s going to be a good fit for you, says Melissa Clinedinst, director of research initiatives and partnerships at the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
Finding a good-fit college means it’s “going to be a place where you can really learn, grow and benefit,” she says. “Try not to focus overly on things like prestige and name recognition.”
If prospective students plan to visit a campus in person, Richardson suggests doing a virtual tour first.
“You may decide that it’s not worth the trip and actually doesn’t have the things that you are interested in,” she says. “But that’s a good starting point, and then going to campus to actually feel what it’s like to be there.”
Students want to see many different schools “and they should,” Richardson adds. “But there just isn’t enough time to do that throughout the year. So, starting with a big list, going through and looking at those schools online, doing your research, and then deciding, ‘OK, we are actually going to go see this group of schools’ is good.”
For in-person visits, it’s best to avoid going over the summer when no current students are on campus, Banks says.
“Spend time on the research process and listen to the students that are on campus giving you their impression of the school,” she says. “Think about academics. Think about your career. But think about four years in a place where you want a community, where you are going to find people that are similar to you and people who are very different from you.”
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Nonacademic Factors to Consider When Choosing a College originally appeared on usnews.com
