An analysis reveals a significant trend of Northern students attending Southern public colleges, with an 84% increase over two decades and a 30% surge between 2018 and 2022. Factors such as lower tuition, merit-based scholarships, and notable school spirit, especially around football, drive this trend. Additionally, political climates influence preferences, as some students perceive Southern schools to offer more authentic experiences. Reports suggest a growing aversion among students to the contentious atmospheres of some elite colleges in the Northeast and California, prompting them to seek more harmonious environments in the South.
"They’re seen not only as more fun, but also more accessible," Jeff Selingo, author of college admissions books, told Axios.
Colleges in Republican-led states returned to in-person classes sooner than colleges in Democratic-led states after the onset of COVID.
Students have said to me, 'I don't want to go to a college where everybody's angry at each other and everybody's fighting over everything,' said Maria Laskaris.
Students who were looking at colleges saw more freedom and fun in the South than they saw up North," Selingo said.
#higher-education #college-admissions #southern-public-colleges #student-trends #political-influence
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