Relevant Insights From Sodexo’s 2022-2023 Student Lifestyle Survey
Fall is one of the most exciting times in higher education as students head back to school, awakening campus communities with the frenzied activity of a new academic year. Many familiar aspects of this experience – the sense of opportunity, the chance to make new friends, the pursuit of interests and a bright future – remain the same.
Young people can be mercurial – as a mother of two teenage boys, I know this all too well. Because they’re still figuring out who they are and what matters most to them, their tastes and preferences change frequently.
Students’ preferences have always been in a constant state of evolution, but the pace of that evolution has accelerated recently. Coming of age amidst unprecedented global and national upheaval significantly impacted how today’s students see the world, and it profoundly affected their perceptions and expectations regarding college education.
Many campuses are struggling to understand these seismic shifts and keep pace with the rapid changes to students’ needs and expectations. The first step must be understanding what students want today, even though – and especially because - it may differ from what they’ve prioritized and valued in the past.
Sodexo has long been committed to understanding the ever-changing preferences and expectations of college students. As part of that commitment, we strive to identify and track shifting trends in campus life as reported firsthand by undergraduate students through the Sodexo Student Lifestyle Survey.
Sodexo’s 2022-23 Student Lifestyle Survey reveals insights around a broad range of topics, including what drives students’ decisions, how they select a college, what they expect on campus, and how those expectations evolve over time. Understanding the nuanced needs of today’s students enables universities to provide programs and services that will ensure success.
The 2022-2023 Student Lifestyle Survey explored key findings that relate to how students are navigating the world today, what concerns they grapple with and what they want for the future. Many of the insights found are still relevant today.
Mental health remains a major challenge. More than 60% of today’s students reported having felt overwhelmed and anxious during their time at school. Among the third of students who considered dropping out, 60% cited health and mental health problems as the main reason, whereas in 2017 it was financial concerns. These issues directly contribute to declining retention rates and may have lifelong implications for students.
Students are lonely and crave connection. Only 55% of students surveyed in 2022 were satisfied with their current social lives – a significant drop from the 69% of students indicating the same in 2020. Furthermore, 53% of students felt lonely, and 47% felt isolated. It’s vital to create opportunities for them to meet their peers and engage in the campus community organically.
Students want to feel welcomed on campus. Creating the right campus environment is crucial to attracting students, with a whopping 82% of current college students stating that their enrollment decisions were based heavily on the perceived friendliness of a campus, which ranked alongside other top factors like affordability. In fact, students were far more likely to be swayed by the friendly atmosphere of a campus, even more than by a college’s academic reputation.
Students are re-examining the value of higher education. Only 49% of students believed that their college offered reasonable value for money, and 81% of students surveyed said affordability/access to financial aid was the most important factor in choosing a college. The number of students enrolling in college immediately after high school graduation significantly and steadily declined from a high of 70% in 2016 to 63% in 2020, the most recent year for which the figure is available, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Growing costs and skepticism about the value of higher education are driving this change. As enrollments continue to decline and retention becomes increasingly challenging, it is essential to demonstrate the value of a college degree.
Campus dining is a top driver of student engagement. The dining hall is the perfect place to foster a sense of community through events that promote engagement, socialization, value and convenience all at once. Students recognized the benefits of coming together over a shared meal, with 87% reporting that eating together was the most typical way that they socialized with friends.
The Sodexo Student Lifestyle Survey helps us understand student needs, identify changing demands and build insights that help our partner campuses evolve their communities to make students feel more at home. We are passionate about collaborating with colleges and universities to develop solutions that meet the needs of current students and anticipate the trends of tomorrow.