8 Surprising Facts About Higher Education

We all know about the importance of getting a degree. It is what can help you jump-start a successful career in pretty much any field and gain the needed professional knowledge and skills. But, do you know enough about modern higher education?

Whether you are already attending a university or college, or just planning to apply, this article will have something interesting for everyone. Read on to learn about the top eight most recent and relevant facts about higher education that might surprise you!

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1. Students Are Massively Outsourcing Their Homework Assignments

It’s not a secret that handling a huge load of homework can get pretty tough, especially in higher education facilities. According to surveys, students report spending around 17 hours a week on different types of assignments. But, did you know how many of them are delegating their tasks? We bet that the answer is no.

As many of you should know, these days, there are thousands of specialized services that help students cope with their homework. These are the sites where you can come saying “professional essay writer” and get quick, professional assistance with any kind of assignment. And you will be surprised at the sheer number of students that use this opportunity to ensure academic success.

About 30 million university and college students all over the world are delegating their assignments to professionals. Most often, they do this due to a lack of time, need to improve their grades or poor understanding of the task. Regardless of the reasons, professional writers help students make their way to academic excellence.

2. Students Love MacOs But Use Windows More

It is no secret that college and university students are relying on technology a lot. According to stats, nearly 90% of all homework they do requires at least some use of technology. Therefore, a computer or a laptop is one of the most vital tools in every student’s arsenal. But, what kind of technology do they choose?

71% of young people report they would prefer a Mac over a Windows computer. Nevertheless, the majority are still giving their preference to a Windows-operated PC. At this point, the share of Windows users in college is 60%, whereas only 40% are using Mac devices. Why is it so, you may wonder? Basically, the main reason for this is the high cost of Mac gadgets. Apparently, the majority of young people can’t afford it, so they opt for Windows instead.

3. Educational Apps Are On the Rise

We’ve already mentioned that young people are relying on technology a lot in their academics. But, while just a few years ago they relied mostly on the internet, laptops, and computers, now, we can see a big trend towards mobile technology. Namely, students are now giving their preference to mobile educational applications.

As reported by the App Store, there have been 470 million downloads of educational apps. The numbers from Google Play don’t fall behind much. On this marketplace, learners have downloaded 466 million different educational apps. And these numbers keep rising.

Every year, developers present us with more and more apps that can really come in handy for college people. There are applications for learning specific topics or subjects, managing your assignments, keeping track of the curriculum, as well as educational games, and much more!

4. The Decline in Enrollment Is High as Ever

Despite an ever-high demand for qualified and educated specialists in all spheres, you might be surprised to learn that the number of people who are enrolling in higher education facilities is actually dropping. According to stats, enrollment rates in the US have dropped by nearly 3 million throughout the last decade.

What is more, a million decline in enrollment rates was seen since the beginning of the ongoing pandemic. The reasons for this phenomenon are different. First and foremost, experts claim that the decline is caused by a drop in birth rates. However, apart from this, there is also a growing skepticism concerning the importance of higher education, the wide availability of offline and online jobs that don’t require a degree, and, of course, the high cost of education.

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5. Colleges Aren’t All About Studying

As most of us believe, the primary goal of attending a college is to study and gain knowledge, but stats reveal that this is not quite true. According to Minding the Campus, US students spend on average less than 30 hours per week on academics.

How do they spend the rest of their time? - Doing sports, participating in extracurriculars, and, of course, making memories. So, if you still believe that you will have to spend 100% of your time studying while in college, rest assured that college life is made of much more than that.

6. Employment Rates and Salaries of BA Degree Holders Are Skyrocketing

It shouldn’t be surprising to hear that the majority of employers are looking for specialists with college degrees. This fact alone proves that the importance of receiving higher education is still high. But, one thing you may not know is that employment rates and salaries of those who hold at least a BA degree are skyrocketing these days.

To be more specific, research performed by the Bureau for Labor Statistics reveals that workers who only have a high school diploma can make an average of $37,024 a year. The unemployment rate among them is 4.6%

On the other hand, specialists who hold at least a BA degree can make an average of $60,996 a year. Besides, their unemployment rate is significantly lower - 2.5%.

7. Students Want to Continue Learning Online After the Pandemic

We all know that the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has forced millions of students to stay at home and continue their education online. Due to the unreadiness of the academic system for such a quick shift, there was lots of skepticism concerning online learning. But, things have changed.

Now, after several years of global lockdown, students have become comfortable completing their courses online. In fact, they even show willingness to continue learning online. According to surveys, 73% of students now want to have at least some online courses. Whereas 46% of young people are willing to complete the rest of their education online.

8. Student Debt Crisis Is at Its Biggest Now

In the 21st century, higher education is definitely more accessible than ever. Yet, accessible doesn’t mean affordable. It shouldn’t surprise you to hear that the cost of tuition keeps growing, reaching record-high figures.

According to studies, around 30% of young people are opting for some kind of a loan to afford their education. Currently, the average amount of loan per borrower is slightly over $35,000. But, the overall debt is huge. It has been reported that America on its own has $1.73 trillion in student debt.

Wrapping Up

So, these were our top eight facts that many of you might’ve not known before. Hopefully, reading this article was helpful to all of you. Now, you know more about higher education in 2022.