The 2025 CIRP Freshman Survey features key insights about how entering college students are approaching higher education in a changing context in which questions about cost, value, well-being, and future opportunities are becoming even more important. The report, Understanding the Entering Class of 2025: Key Insights from The CIRP Freshman Survey 2025, was released today by ACE, in collaboration with the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Based on responses from more than 17,000 incoming students across 44 four-year colleges and universities, the 2025 Freshman Survey aims to help higher education leaders, educators, researchers, and policymakers better understand the students starting higher education and respond meaningfully to their needs. Although the findings are drawn from participating institutions and are not nationally representative, the survey provides a broad view of the experiences, concerns, and aspirations of today’s incoming college students. Instead of summarizing the entire survey, this report highlights key insights and notable findings that capture the depth and scope of the data.
The data from the responding students show a population that continues to become more diverse across race and ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, and socioeconomic background.
Some key takeaways:
- Students Define ROI Broadly: Among first-generation students, 78 percent said getting a better job is an important reason to go to college, but nearly as many students identified learning and personal interests as important motivations, suggesting that return on investment (ROI) is broader than financial returns alone.
- Financial Pressures Shape College Decisions: With over half of students (54 percent) reporting concerns about paying for college, financial pressures are much higher for low-income and Black and Hispanic students, shaping how they approach college and their expectations once they arrive.
- Students Are Focused on Long-Term Career Pathways: Although first-generation students are less likely than their non-first-generation peers to expect a master's degree as their highest credential (30.5 percent vs. 38.9 percent), nearly two-thirds anticipate pursuing education beyond a bachelor's degree. Many expect to earn medical, law, doctoral, or other professional degrees, indicating that first-generation students are not only thinking about their first job, but about longer-term plans, and are looking at colleges and universities as part of a broader trajectory that includes additional credentials and opportunities.
- Mental Health Challenges: Many incoming students report challenges related to mental health before entering college. Rates were particularly high among women and nonbinary/gender non-conforming students and those who selected identity not listed (NB, CG/GNC, INL) students, with 97.2 percent of NB, CG/GNC, INL students and 90.8 percent of women reporting anxiety, creating important opportunities for institutions to provide support.
“What stands out in this year's data is how intentional students are about their educational and career goals. Even amid concerns about college affordability and mental health pressures, many students are entering college with strong aspirations and an understanding that the value of higher education extends beyond employment outcomes alone,” said Hironao Okahana, ACE’s managing researcher and chief of planning and impact. “The findings also highlight the financial and personal challenges many students face before arriving on campus and the importance of tailoring institutional support and services to meet their needs.”
“It is a privilege to house HERI at UCLA's CRESST, where we continue this vital work through the Freshman Survey, now in its 61st administration. The longitudinal data we collect on entering college students simply has no equal; it provides an irreplaceable wealth of knowledge for higher ed administrators and researchers striving to understand the evolving landscape of American higher education,” said Li Cai, Director of CRESST at UCLA, home of HERI. "The 2025 findings underscore just how critical this insight is. From revealing that nearly two-thirds of first-generation students are already planning for graduate-level pathways, to highlighting the stark mental health challenges facing nonbinary and female incoming students, these results do more than report statistics; they illuminate the complex realities students bring to campus. This data empowers institutions to move beyond assumptions and tailor their support systems to meet the genuine financial, academic, and well-being needs of today's diverse entering class."