This Gallup and Lumina Foundation report captures what college students were experiencing during the disrupted fall 2020 term of the COVID-19 pandemic. It surveyed students pursuing associate and bachelor’s degrees to understand how remote learning, financial pressure, stress and campus supports were affecting their education.
The report finds that most students still rated the quality of their education highly, but students learning fully online were less positive than those attending in person. Students who moved from in-person classes in spring 2020 to fully online classes in fall 2020 reported worse experiences, lower wellbeing and weaker relationships with professors and mentors.
A major concern in the report is persistence. About one-third of currently enrolled students said they had considered withdrawing from courses in the previous six months, with COVID-19 and emotional stress among the most common reasons. About half said the pandemic was likely to affect their ability to complete their degree.
The report is important because it shows how disruption hit different students unevenly. Black, Hispanic and first-generation students were less likely than their peers to know about campus services such as tutoring, mental health support and emergency financial help. The findings point to the need for colleges to communicate supports clearly and reach students before challenges push them off track.