College Students Still Struggling to Stay Enrolled, Gallup Research Finds

More than 2 in 5 college students said they considered stopping out of their academic programs within a six-month period, according to a survey released Wednesday from the Lumina Foundation and Gallup. The organizations polled more than 6,000 students seeking a credential, as well as thousands of adults who either stopped out of college or never enrolled in the first place. Not only did 41% of students mull stopping out, but also those shares were higher for Black and Hispanic students — 43% and 52%, respectively. More than half of students who considered stopping out attributed their thinking to emotional stress. A little under half reported they were considering stopping due to personal mental health reasons, and just under 30% said it was because of college costs.