Research + News

Why Generation Z Is Passing On College

Tim Elmore says that students “feel less dependent on adults to get them ready for the career they’ll choose to enter.” Read his entire blog post here.

Most Teenagers Drop Out Of Church As Young Adults

Church pews may be full of teenagers, but a new study says college students might be a much rarer sight on Sunday mornings. Read the article here.

Attention, College Shoppers. These Schools Are Slashing Their Prices.

As soaring tuition scares off many families, a growing number of private colleges have embraced a marketing tactic associated more with selling airline tickets or flat-screen televisions than higher education: a price cut. Read the article here.

The Top Reasons Young People Drop Out Of Church

Even with 1 in 4 leaving over politics, college kids are more likely to return after a hiatus than leave for good. Read the article here.

Penn State Updates Course On Drinking And Sexual Violence, Aiming To Keep Students ‘Safe & Aware’

Penn State recently revamped its online course for incoming freshmen. Students learn about alcohol safety and sexual violence. Read the article here.

Preparing Your Kids For College

Jim Burns from HomeWord offers his perspective and tips on preparing kids for college. Read his blog post here.

College Students At 3.5 Times Higher Risk For Meningitis B

College students ages 18-24 are more than three times at risk for the potentially deadly serogroup B meningococcal disease (meningitis B) when compared with non-college students, according to a study published in the January 2019 issue of Pediatrics. Read the article here.

Homeless For Holidays: Some Colleges Keep Needy Students On Campus

About one-tenth of college students say they’re homeless, according to Goldrick-Rab’s research.Read the article here.

Better Sleep Can Improve College Academic Performance On Finals

As the college semester nears the end, an innovative experiment has shown the benefits of averaging eight hours of sleep for five nights during final exams week. Read the article here.

Why ‘Passing On The Faith’ Fails Our Kids

Young adults often leave the church after high school. The problem lies close to home. Read the article here.

Colleges Strain To Keep Up With Students’ Mental Health Concerns

As stigmas surrounding mental health issues have eased, more U.S. college students are seeking help for emotional problems, a new study finds. Read the article here.

Why So Busy? Our Flawed College System Takes Toll On Families Years Before Tuition Is Due

Families jam their schedules and fret over finances to prepare their kids for college. But all this craziness comes at a cost to parents and children. Read the article here.

More College Students Seeking Mental Health Care

Anxiety, depression and panic attacks are sending U.S. college students to mental health clinics in record numbers, a new study finds. Read the article here.

Why Youth Stay In Church When They Grow Up

What is it that sets apart the kids who stay in the church? Read the article here.

English Prof: ‘My Students Can’t Write To Save Their Lives’

From the article…

“English professors have turned to a feelings-oriented approach to their craft. Instead of being the sage on the stage, they have become the guide on the side. They place greater emphasis on the thoughts and feelings or political ideas students put into their works than whether or not students are following – or even knowing – the grammatical rules of writing.”

Read the rest of the article here.

1 In 3 College Freshman Faces Mental Health Woes

More than one in three first-year college students around the world struggle with a mental health disorder, new research suggests. Read the article here.

Is The Big Standardized Test A Big Standardized Flop?

Since No Child Left Behind first rumbled onto the scene, the use of a Big Standardized Test to drive accountability and measure success has been a fundamental piece of education reform. But recently, some education reform stalwarts are beginning to express doubts. Read the article here.

1 In 5 College Students So Stressed They Consider Suicide

Among more than 67,000 students surveyed, over 20 percent said they experienced stressful events in the last year that were strongly associated with mental health problems, including harming themselves and suicidal thoughts or attempts, researchers found. Read the article here.

Parents, Take Note: Kids, Teen, College Student Mental Health Problems On The Rise

Adding to a wave of recent studies highlighting the unique mental health challenges that teens and young adults face — oftentimes alone — a new report from the World Health Organization finds that one in three college students worldwide have a mental health condition. Read the article here.

Do Christian Students Want Spiritual Growth From College?

Is spiritual and moral development primary, or even secondary priorities of one’s education? Read the research from Barna here.

Tinder Is Rolling Out A College-Only Service, Tinder U

The functionality is exactly the same as regular Tinder, although the UI looks slightly different: a badge depicting users’ universities will be displayed on their main profile image. Read the article here.

The Beloit College Mindset List: Class of 2022

The New Millennium Belongs to This Year’s Entering College Class of 2022 in The 21^st Annual Mindset List. Read the list here.

What I Learned In Secretarial School

There are many paths to discipline and confidence. I typed my way there. Read the rest of the article here.

11 Books Every Christian In College Should Read

So … what are the best Christian books for college students? Read the article here.

Technology, Dating, College, Career: Here’s Why Today’s Teens Are The Most Anxious Ever

What can be done to overcome anxiety? And why parents may be contributing to the problem. Read the article here.

Doing It For The College Resume – Not a Great Idea

It’s great for teens to get involved in their communities. But in addition to excelling in school, many feel pressure to overload their schedules with extracurriculars in hopes of improving the odds they’ll be admitted to the college of their choice. Read the article here.

How Our Obsession With College Prep Hurts Kids

Most schools say they’re preparing children for college and a career. Ted Dintersmith argues that today’s K-12 education is preparation for neither. Read the article here.

Why Rural Michigan Teens Are Skipping Out On College. It’s Not Grades

The road to college can be scary for small town teens. Read the article here.

How I Helped My Kids Decide What To Do After High School

Growing Leaders president Tim Elmore provides a summary of what he and his wife did to prepare their kids for their post-secondary experience. Read his blog post here.

The Value Of Education

Young people are getting paid less than their contemporaries in the year 2000. Take a look at the data here.

The Perils Of Pushing Kids Too Hard, And How Parents Can Learn To Back Off

“Ask your kids the question ‘Am I pushing you too hard?’ ” says Colleen Fawcett, Wilton Youth Services coordinator. Don’t just ask once, she says, ask it periodically and keep the line of communication open. Read the article here.

What Parents And Students Should Look For In Colleges And Majors

Tim Elmore blogs some suggestions for both parents and students as they consider different college options. Read the post here.

3 Reasons That Career And Technical Education Doesn’t Preclude College

Confronting some misconceptions about future learners.

Read the full article here.

6 Questions College Students Must Be Ready To Answer

Students must be armed with at least six apologetics to be ready to answer the hardest questions they’ll face from professors as well as fellow students. Read the article from Cameron Cole on The Gospel Coalition website here.

Is Gen Z The Most Success-Oriented Generation?

A key characteristic of Gen Z is that their expectations are largely shaped around themes of academic and career success—more so than any other generation we’ve observed. Read the research from Barna here.

College Board CEO: How Religious Education Helps Us Rethink The College Admissions Race

The “soulcraft” found in faith-based learning is just what higher ed needs right now. Read the article here.

Share Of American Young Adults Living With Their Parents Highest In 75 Years

According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 33% of 25-29 year olds lived with their parents or grandparents in 2016. Read the article here.

A New Study Shows That Students Learn Way More Effectively From Print Textbooks Than Screens

While new forms of classroom technology like digital textbooks are more accessible and portable, it would be wrong to assume that students will automatically be better served by digital reading simply because they prefer it. Read the article here.

Students Want Faster Degrees. Colleges Are Responding

Colleges are offering accelerated degrees, giving students the opportunity to graduate sooner and with less debt, but is this a good idea? Read the article here.

Teens Turn To Trades To Turn A Dollar

Today’s trend-setting teens are ditching the debt load of a four-year college degree in favor of learning trades and earning technical degrees. Read the article here.

Oldest Students In Class Most Likely To Attend College

The study found that those who were almost a year older for their grade were more likely to enroll in college (58 percent) than those who were almost a year younger for their grade (52 percent). Read the article here.

College Drinking Culture In Spain, Argentina, And The USA: An Examination Of Impulsivity, College Alcohol Beliefs, And Alcohol Outcomes

Perceptions about alcohol’s role in the college experience have been spread through various media including television and movies. This study adds to the growing literature showing college alcohol beliefs are linked to harmful alcohol outcomes. Read the full article here.

Higher Education Is Drowning In BS

Christian Smith argues that higher education is drowning and that it’s mortally corrosive to society. Read the article here.

It’s Time To Tell Your Kids It Doesn’t Matter Where They Go To College

You don’t need to go to a highly selective college to have a successful and fulfilling life. Read the article here.

Preparing Your Kids For College

Jim Burns writes on preparing your kids for college on the HomeWord blog. Read the post here.

A Game Plan To Prepare Yourself And Your Child To Head Off To College

Tim Elmore suggests different themes for discussion each month from now until your student heads off to college in the fall. Read his suggestions here.

The Research On What Creates Satisfied And Successful Kids

What Did the Most Extensive Longitudinal Study Discover About Kids? Read the blog post from Tim Elmore here.

Why An Honors Student Wants To Skip College And Go To Trade School

As worries about student debt rise, states and businesses increasingly push faster, cheaper paths to the workplace; parents are stumped. Read the article here.

How Is Digital Text Affecting Student Comprehension?

Researchers found that digital reading was faster but less effective as a tool for helping students process and learn information. Read more from the Growing Leaders’ blog post here.

Video Games As Varsity Sports At Some Colleges

Student-athletes compete in online games such as League of Legends, Overwatch and Hearthstone with other teams in the National Association of Collegiate Esports. Read the article here.

The Return Of The Classic Apprenticeship

Tim Elmore blogs that he’s happy to see apprenticeships making a comeback, but what do they look like in today’s workplace environment? Read the blog post here.

How To Build Snowmen From A Snowflake Generation

Read Tim Elmore’s blog about how and why “snowflakes’ appeared and what we can do to turn them into strong leaders. Read his blog post here.

Most Big Public Colleges Don’t Track Suicides, AP Finds

Nearly half of the largest U.S. public universities do not track suicides among their students, despite making investments in prevention at a time of surging demand for mental health services. Read the article here.

Laptops Are Great. But Not During A Lecture Or A Meeting.

Step into any college lecture hall and you are likely to find a sea of students typing away at open, glowing laptops as the professor speaks. Read the article here.

Help Teens Balance Jobs, College Apps During The Holidays

Parents can help high school seniors set boundaries with employers during the holidays so students have time for college applications. Read the article here.

Three Money Conversations Every Teen Should Have With Their Parents

Some conversations that families need to have around the topic of money. Read the article here.

The Home Stretch: Supporting Your College-Bound Child In Their Senior Year

Ready or not, prepared or not, after years of hard work and preparation, your child is in the final, defining and transitory, senior year of high school. Read the article here.

Generation Z Under Academic Pressure

In the age of globalization, it’s no surprise Generation Z members feel pressure about what to be when they grow up. Read the article here.

Nearly A Third Of College Kids Think ADHD Meds Boost Grades

But adolescent health experts say there’s no evidence to support that belief. Read the article here.

Yale Saves Fragile Students From A Carving Of A Musket

Yale’s Committee on Art in Public Spaces has discovered that a stone carving that has adorned an entrance to Sterling Memorial Library since it opened 86 years ago has become “not appropriate.” Read the article here.

The Beloit College Mindset List: Class of 2021

Beloit College Releases the Mindset List for This Year’s Entering Class of First-Year College Students.

Read the list here.

College Grads Have Nothing To Hide From Employers On Social Media

A few even think of their followings as an asset to employers. Read the article here.

Gap Year Planning

What is a gap year — and what does it mean to take one?

Read the article here.

Snapchat Throws Lifeline To College Papers

Some beleaguered college pubs are getting a boost, and possibly a new lease on life, courtesy of mobile visual messaging platform Snapchat. Read the article here.

How To Respond When Young People Doubt God

Fuller Youth Institute’s Brad Griffin says that “often what’s underneath those outbursts [of doubt] are really important questions.” Read his blog post here.

Five Decisions Every Freshman Needs To Make

First year students are about to enter an entirely new experience, and meet peers in a new environment for them. Read Tim Elmore’s blog about their upcoming decisions here.

Georgia Professor Allows Stressed Out Students To Choose Their Own Grades

A professor at the University of Georgia will allow his fall semester students to pick their own grades in an effort to reduce the stress levels of his students. Read the article here.

How To Nurture Positive Doubting

Many of us believe (or perhaps we fear) that if we question some of the fundamentals of the faith, we’re somehow “flawed” as Christians. Read the article here.

Top Questions To Ask College Students Before They Head To School

Kara Powell blogs for Fuller Youth Institute and says “it’s never too early to start thinking about life after high school.” Read the blog post here.

Why Go To College?

IIn partnership with the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), Barna asked American adults about their beliefs on the primary purpose of a college education. Read the results here.

Why Aren’t Students Showing Up For College?

According to research from Harvard, between 10% and 40% of the kids who intend to go to college at the time of high school graduation don’t actually show up in the fall. Education researchers call this phenomenon “summer melt,” and it has long been a puzzling problem. Listen to the story on NPR here.

8 Life Skills Your Teen Needs Before Starting College

When high school graduates move out of the house, many parents wonder “Are they ready?” or “Will they be OK?”

Read the article here.

The Surprising Effect Of Marijuana Legalization On College Students

After Oregon legalized the drug, its use went up—but mainly among teens who also binge-drink.

Read the article here.

Distressed Borrowers Say Student Debt Help Was Anything But

USA Today highlights experiences with so-called student loan debt help companies. Read the article here.

The Latest Research On Helping Students To Fail Forward

Are students passing classes even though they don’t complete assignments and they often fail tests? Tim Elmore explores this topic in a blog post.

Read his blog here.

4 Things Your Professors Wish You Knew Before You Start College

Here’s what several professors around the country offered as their advice for incoming freshmen. Read the article here.

Mis-Educating The Young

In this article for the New York Times, David Brooks says, “People in their 20s seem to be compelled to bounce around more, popping up here and there, quantumlike, with different jobs, living arrangements and partners while hoping that all these diverse experiences magically add up to something.”

Read the rest of the article here.

Poor Sleep Habits = Poor Grades

Study of college students finds regular slumber schedule a key to success. Read the article here.

Teens Invent ‘Smart Straw’ To Combat Date Rape

Three teenagers have developed a “Smart Straw,” which detects common date rape drugs in drinks. Read the article here.

Out Of The Nest

Tips for Successfully Launching Your Kids into College. A blog post from Rhett Smith for Fuller Youth Institute. Read the blog here.

5 Books More Christian High Schoolers Should Read

Christian classical school teacher Matthew Farrelly chooses five books more Christian high schoolers should be encouraged to read for Christianity Today. Read the list here.

Connecting With College Students Over Break: They’re Bringing Home More Than Their Laundry

Stephen Argue writes this for a blog for Fuller Youth Institute:

“The child you said goodbye to in the fall isn’t the same one who’s coming home this summer. Beyond their laundry, they’re bringing home other things that you need to consider.”

Read the full post here.

Adolescence Is a Gift, But Extended Adolescence Is a Trap

Nebraska senator Ben Sasse wants parents to get serious about shepherding kids into responsible adulthood. Read the article from Christianity Today here.

How to Get Your 20-Something Out of the Basement

A guest post from Andrew McPeak on the Growing Leaders blog. Read the blog here.

The Coddling Of The American Mind

In the name of emotional well-being, college students are increasingly demanding protection from words and ideas they don’t like. Here’s why that’s disastrous for education—and mental health.

Read the article here.

Potemkin Universities

Most campuses are bubbles of unearned self-congratulation. Read the article here.

College Students May Forget Class Content To Protect Self-Image

New research suggests forgetting content from a stressful math class may be one way to protect an individual’s belief that they are good at math. Read the article here.

This Is What American Teenagers Want To Be When They Grow Up

When it comes to careers, young people have stars in their eyes. Read the article here.

4 Answers for Parents About College-Level Classes in High School

These classes often require more independent learning and study time outside of class.

Read the article here.

Montreat students call life covenant ‘divisive’

MONTREAT – Some Montreat College students say the school’s new community life covenant, which has prompted some faculty members to leave, has divided the normally close-knit campus. Read the full article here.

Sun safety: hard lessons for college students

(NBC News) A recent study finds that despite college students’ quest for knowledge, real-world lessons about skin cancer are totally lost on many young adults.

Dr. Corey Basch of William Paterson University in New Jersey surveyed more than 300 students. 72 knew someone diagnosed with skin cancer, or even had it themselves, yet those students were more likely to sunbathe and get sunburned, huge risk factors for skin cancer. Read the full article here.

College students benefit from later class times

Starting school later may seem like just schoolkid’s dream; However, for college-age students, starting school later may be an academic advantage.

Some people argue that studying during the early morning is the optimal time for the brain to perform complex comprehension tasks. But a new study shows that sayings such as “the early bird catches the worm” may not apply to studying habits. Read the full article here.

What prospective college students need to know before they go — or owe

Why so many college students are lousy at writing — and how Mr. Miyagi can help

There are a lot of students who enter college as lousy writers — and who graduate without seeming to make much, if any, improvement. It is true in the arts as well as the sciences, anecdotally evidenced by some of the blog post submissions I get from a wide range of people whose jobs would suggest they can communicate well in writing but, as it turns out, not so much. Read the full article here.

College Students Regret A Lot Of Their Spring Break Behavior

Ask a few college students what spring break means, and you’ll probably hear a few common themes: sun, sand, drinking, hookups and … regret.

Read the article here.

Nearly Half Of Young Millennials Get Thousands In Secret Support From Their Parents

From the CNBC article:

“Forget buying a home — even renting a room is out of reach to many young people, especially in big cities. Wages have stagnated but rents haven’t, meaning workers just out of college are in a bind: To live where the jobs are, they need help.

For almost half of them, though they don’t often admit it, that help comes from their parents.”

Read the rest of the article here.

College Students Seem To Take Longer To Recover From Concussion

Average is 1-2 weeks, but study found some kids needed more than 3 weeks to get better.

Read the article here.

A Good Night’s Sleep A Better Alternative To Teen Nap Clubs

A look at lack of sleep, teen naps clubs, and the pressures high schoolers face, especially the pressure of getting accepted to college. Read the article here.

When College Kids Surf the Web in Class, Grades Fall

Study finds the habit hurts academics, and supports the notion of leaving laptops at home. Read the article here.

High Cost Of Education Limits Career Choices For Millennials

We’ve all seen the staggering student loan debt statistics: It averages more than $20,000 and 69% of Millennials have student loan debt, according to the Federal Reserve of New York. What the numbers don’t tell us is what is going on in Millennials’ minds before they take on this debt.

Read the rest of the article here.