How Students Really Choose a College (And Why It Surprises Parents)
Feb 25, 2026Parents often assume that students choose colleges based on prestige, rankings, or name recognition. After all, that’s how institutions market themselves—and how many adults were taught to evaluate “good” schools.
But when you actually listen to students, a different decision-making story emerges.
In a recent conversation on the Engaged By Design Podcast, Christina Dryden shared how her own children evaluated colleges—and their criteria were strikingly practical. Instead of rankings, they focused on questions like:
- Will students actually graduate from this institution?
- Do people seem to like being here?
- Do I have a real chance of being accepted?
- Does this school offer the programs and experiences I want?
These questions reflect a deeper truth: students are not shopping for prestige. They are searching for belonging, momentum, and possibility.
When Institutional Signals Miss the Mark
Many colleges emphasize rankings, awards, and national reputation because those signals resonate with parents, boards, and external stakeholders. But students experience college from the inside. They pay attention to how people interact, whether faculty are accessible, and whether learning feels meaningful.
Graduation rate becomes a proxy for culture.
Acceptance rate becomes a proxy for opportunity.
Campus feel becomes a proxy for belonging.
None of these appear cleanly in glossy brochures—but they matter deeply.
This disconnect creates a leadership challenge. Institutions may be optimizing their messaging for audiences who are not the primary decision-makers. Meanwhile, students are forming impressions based on lived experience, not external validation.
Helping Students Make Better Decisions
For leaders, educators, and parents, the goal isn’t to control student choice—it’s to support wiser choice.
That begins by asking better questions:
- Where do students persist and why?
- How early do students feel connected to faculty and peers?
- What signals do we send about support, challenge, and growth?
When we shift conversations away from rankings and toward experience, students gain clarity. They begin to imagine themselves not just enrolling—but staying.
The Leadership Insight
College choice is less about selecting the “best” institution and more about finding an environment where learning can take root. Leaders who understand this design experiences, not just marketing campaigns.
Reflection Question:
If you were choosing a college today, what evidence would convince you that students truly thrive there?
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