March 25, 2025

When more students are interested in high-demand jobs, that can be a good thing.

But colleges and universities can be pressed to limit entry to those programs when the interest exceeds the faculty, space, and technology available to support them.

The result? Additional entry requirements — GPA thresholds, test score minimums, portfolios, auditions, waitlists — become hurdles for students to clear in order to enter their chosen field.

A new Strada survey of recent graduates sheds light on how the practice of restricting majors shapes student experiences.

Among the findings:

• Restrictions on majors have a large influence on what students decide to study. The majority of recent graduates (67 percent of four-year public institution alumni) considered a major with a restriction to entry, but only 50 percent were ultimately admitted into a restricted major.
  
  
• Restrictions on majors impact some students more than others. Black graduates (27 percent) and first-generation graduates (22 percent) were more likely to have not pursued restricted majors in which they were interested, compared to an overall average of 17 percent.

The practice of restricting majors — even in response to legitimate institutional constraints — limits some students from pursuing and succeeding in the careers they aspire to, while also exacerbating talent shortages for employers.

VOTERS WANT TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY IN HIGHER ED

American voters overwhelmingly support increased transparency and accountability in higher education, according to a new national survey commissioned by Arnold Ventures. Voters from Republican, Democratic, and independent backgrounds agree that state and federal governments should do more to assess the value of college degrees, provide this information to students, and hold institutions accountable for offering programs that fail to deliver strong student outcomes. Read more.

STUDY: COST OF COLLEGE UNFAIR BUT PAYS OFF

Fewer than 1 in 5 current or prospective U.S. college students (18%) believe four-year colleges charge fair prices for what they offer students, according to the Lumina Foundation-Gallup 2025 State of Higher Education Study, while a majority (59%) disagree. Over half of current or prospective students (58%) believe it takes five years or less for a college graduate’s investment to pay off once they leave college.​​

Read more.

HOW ONE COLLEGE ALIGNED WITH WORKFORCE NEEDS

Champlain College President Alex Hernandez shares how his institution, where 80 percent of graduates land jobs related to their field of study and 90 percent achieve successful career outcomes within six months, built capacity and aligned its programs with workforce realities. The college offers a model for how institutions can adapt to shifting student expectations, regional workforce needs, and the economic pressures facing higher education today. Listen here.

KEYNOTE: Strada President and CEO Stephen Moret spoke to Tennessee’s State Collaborative on Reforming Education about the availability and uptake of nondegree credentials.

WEBINAR: In a new webinar hosted by Strada affiliate InsideTrack, learn how one state has helped thousands of adult learners return to college and complete degrees.

CAMPUS VISIT: The Strada HBCU Initiative team visited partner institution Grambling State University to learn how their employer partnerships help more students connect with careers.