What Students Value in College

Survey Reports ┃ May 2026

Students arrive at college with a range of motivations for being there. Those motivations shape how they experience their educational journeys, including how well they engage in the high-impact experiences known to improve outcomes and, ultimately, their overall wellbeing.

This report is the second in a two-part series highlighting the findings of a recent national survey, conducted by the LearningWell Coalition in partnership with the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and Morning Consult. The survey explored students’ motivations for attending college and their engagement in and perception of high impact practices.

Though students value college as a pathway to financial security and a good job, they are also seeking an education that creates a sense of purpose, identity exploration, and personal growth. Having mentors and opportunities to apply learning to real-world contexts are viewed by students as being particularly valuable, though relatively few students report actually encountering these resources or opportunities.

This first report details findings from a recent national survey conducted by the LearningWell Coalition in partnership with the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and Morning Consult. The findings explore students’ motivations for attending college and their engagement in high-impact educational practices such as internships, mentorship, research and more, and the effect on those factors on their wellbeing.