Majority of College Students Find Difficulty Staying Interested in Classes

According to a new report, most students are also finding it increasingly more challenging to afford tuition and course materials.

Updated on February 22, 2023

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A Black male college student sitting at a desk in his living room at home. He is looking at reading materials on his tablet device and has a notebook open. He is resting his forehead on his right hand, and has a tired, overwhelmed look on his face.

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The overwhelming majority of students want real-world experience to stay engaged in coursework.
Twenty-nine percent of students feel they will be lacking job-related skills when they enter the workforce after graduation.
More than half of students had trouble paying for tuition and course materials in 2022.
Instructors saw increases in dropouts and students taking on part-time jobs to pay for school.

Keeping college students engaged in their programs is becoming a challenge as they experience increased financial strains and feel they lack real-world education.

A new report from Wiley, an academic publishing company, reveals that 55% of undergraduate students are having trouble staying engaged or interested in their classes.

An equal percentage of students also report they’re having challenges retaining the materials in their classes, while 48% say they’re having trouble keeping up with their class work.

To increase engagement, students want more content that is current and applicable to the real world. Eighty-one percent of undergraduates say it is important or very important that their schools offer real company-led projects. But only 30% of surveyed instructors say their institutions offer these types of projects.

Currently, almost 1 in 5 students (17%) say they feel their institution is not preparing them well for employment in the real world after they graduate. And more than 1 in 4 students (29%) say they feel they will be lacking job-related skills when they enter the workforce after graduation.

In addition to difficulties staying engaged in coursework, students are increasingly finding it challenging to afford their programs.

Fifty-one percent reported challenges paying for tuition and course materials in 2022, and 43% reported challenges paying for living expenses. Between 2021 and 2022, the percentage of students struggling with tuition and course fees increased by 8 percentage points. During the same period, the percentage of students struggling with living expenses increased by 14 percentage points.

Nearly half of surveyed instructors (45%) report that they saw a larger number of students taking on part-time jobs to address affordability concerns in 2022, while 39% saw more students drop out of school entirely over the last year.

Students finding it more and more difficult to pay for school amid inflation concerns, a cost of living crisis, and looming recession is why some schools have tried to take measures to offer more aid and lower tuition costs. Still, only 10% of institutions have increased financial aid, scholarship, and grant offerings; while just 5% are lowering tuition, according to the report.

Generally, students are looking for more support from their institutions and instructors during their educational journey. At least 45% of undergraduate students reported that support and extra help from their instructors has aided their academic experience. Forty-eight percent of graduate students said the same.

The report’s researchers suggest that by offering more career-connected educational experiences, and further financial and emotional support, institutions can significantly improve falling retention and enrollment rates.