Gen Z, broadly those born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s, now fills most undergraduate classrooms. Large international and national studies point the same way: young people want learning that is clearly connected to their futures, and many are not sure they are getting it.
Questioning the value of a degree
Deloitte’s 2025 survey of 23,482 Gen Zs and millennials across 44 countries found that 31% of Gen Z respondents had decided not to pursue higher education. Concerns about the quality of education and its relevance to the job market featured among the reasons respondents gave.
Optimistic, but not prepared
In the United States, Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation’s 2024 Voices of Gen Z study found that only about half of Gen Z (51%) felt prepared for the future. Engagement was the strongest predictor: the most engaged school students were ten times more likely than the least engaged to strongly agree that they felt prepared.
What this means for universities
- Make relevance visible. Connect courses to real problems, employers and careers. In the 2026 Voices of Gen Z study, 71% of students who said adults talked with them about their future at least weekly felt prepared, compared with about half of those who rarely or never had these conversations.
- Run projects in short cycles. The same study found students responded best to self-paced learning and short in-class projects, while fewer than three in ten enjoyed semester-long projects. Break long projects into short sprints with visible milestones and feedback.
- Build belonging. About one in three students said they did not feel they belonged at school or were not comfortable asking questions in class. Small teams and structured peer discussion give every student a role.
The Gallup studies survey young people in the United States, many of them school students about to enter higher education; the Deloitte survey covers 44 countries. Universities should test these patterns with their own students, which is what a readiness assessment and a focused pilot are designed to do.
Designing courses with Gen Z in mind
- Show the “why” in week one. Open each course with a real problem or employer example the course will help students solve.
- Use short feedback loops. Weekly low-stakes tasks with quick feedback keep motivation higher than a single high-stakes exam.
- Offer some choice. Letting students choose a project topic or format within clear outcomes increases ownership without lowering standards.
- Make progress visible. Milestones, rubrics and portfolios help students see what they can now do, not only what grade they received.
Active learning supports belonging and equity
Structured active learning helps the students who are least comfortable speaking up. Theobald et al. (2020) found that active learning narrowed achievement gaps for under-represented students in undergraduate STEM courses. Small teams with defined roles, think-pair-share before whole-class discussion, and anonymous polling give every student a safe way to participate.
Listening to your own students
National and international surveys show broad patterns; local data shows what matters on your campus. Short pulse surveys at mid-semester, student representatives on course redesign teams and focus groups with recent graduates give universities a direct view of where relevance, engagement and belonging are strongest and weakest.
Frequently asked questions
What do Gen Z students want from university?
Research suggests Gen Z students want learning that is clearly relevant to their careers, regular feedback, short and practical projects, conversations about their future, and a sense of belonging in class.
Why are Gen Z students questioning the value of a degree?
In Deloitte’s 2025 survey, concerns about the quality of education and its relevance to the job market were among the reasons Gen Z respondents gave for not pursuing higher education.
How can universities improve student engagement?
By connecting courses to real problems and careers, using active learning and short project cycles, giving frequent feedback, and building structured opportunities for every student to participate.
References
- Deloitte (2025). 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey. Survey of 23,482 respondents in 44 countries.
- Gallup and Walton Family Foundation (2024). Voices of Gen Z Study: Year 2 Annual Survey Report. waltonfamilyfoundation.org
- Gallup and Walton Family Foundation (2026). Voices of Gen Z Study. waltonfamilyfoundation.org
- Theobald, E. J., Hill, M. J., Tran, E., et al. (2020). Active learning narrows achievement gaps for underrepresented students in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and math. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(12), 6476-6483. doi:10.1073/pnas.1916903117