Degree Name
EdD (Doctor of Education)
Program
Educational Leadership
Date of Award
5-2022
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Susan Epps
Committee Members
Michael Hoff, William Kirkwood, Hal Knight
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore what influences Gen Z student college choice. Research on college choice has provided insight into whether or not a student will attend college; however, limited research exists on what impacts Gen Z students’ college choice and how marketing and communication influence what college a student will choose. College recruitment has always been challenging, given the high competition between colleges and universities. With the decrease in enrollment over the last decade and the unexpected impact of COVID-19, that challenge continues to grow. Enrollment and marketing administrators have difficulty expanding and diversifying their marketing, communication, and digital engagement practices to influence this generation of college-going students. This research involved interviews with 27 first-semester first-year students at a regional university in the southeast. Participants described their experiences with the college search process, including contact from higher education institutions. Overall, this study provides a more comprehensive understanding of Generation Z’s college choice influences.
Document Type
Dissertation - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Levesque, Heather, "Gen Z Students’ Experiences with College Choice" (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4057. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4057
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons