Recruiting the Anxious Generation
Insights from EAB’s 2025 Student Surveys to Help You Adapt to the Radically Altered Mindset of Today’s Potential College-Goers
Today’s teens engage with the world—and college search—very differently than past generations: they live online, bring new mental health realities, and approach higher education with shifting expectations and values.
Drawing from three national student surveys conducted during the 2024–2025 academic year, this report highlights the defining characteristics of this generation as they relate to college search and decision-making. It also presents survey insights related to students’ “always online” behavior and shares recommendations for breaking through to today’s digital-native prospects.
In this report, you’ll find:
- Top insights from EAB’s 2025 Student Communication Preferences, First-Year Experience, and Mental Health surveys.
- Data-backed strategies for breaking through to today’s always-online students
- Findings on how students are using AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overview—and what you can do to best position your institution for success
- Student perspectives on how a college’s commitment to DEI and its political climate shape their enrollment decisions
Access the insight paper
This insight paper is available through EAB's Enroll360. Complete the form below for immediate access or log in.