Right now, many Gen Zers are shunning college. They believe that college is nothing more than an expensive scam. They point to Millennials’ and even Gen Xers’ experience with higher education as examples. Both generations took out huge student loans to earn undergraduate and even graduate degrees. They were greeted by lower-paying jobs when they graduated, and that’s if they were lucky.

Gen Zers are pursuing the trades in greater numbers. That said, about 66% of graduating Gen Zers are attending college now. So, will that number increase or decrease with Gen Alpha? I will answer that question in this article.

Gen Alpha May Go to College in Even Greater Numbers

Mark McCrindle predicts that about half of Gen Alphaers will graduate from college. An even greater number and percentage will enroll in tertiary educational institutions as freshmen. They will be a dynamic and globally diverse generation. Gen Alpha will be impacted by the pandemic and by the AI revolution. So, they will be very digitally and technologically literate.

They are the first generation ever to be born entirely in the Information and Digital eras. Interestingly enough, there are 2.2 billion Gen Alpha members globally. So, they are even more numerous than the huge Baby Boomer generation.

Now, let’s explore what college will likely be like when the oldest Gen Alphaers set foot on campuses in less than three years.

Colleges Will Need to Make Learning Digital and Fun

Gen Alpha grew up with digital devices from the time they were born (sometimes literally). So, they are very digitally and technologically savvy. Over half of older kids and tweens own a smartphone. And they worship social media influencers since they live off of these platforms. Added to that is the fact that many K-12 schools integrate advanced technologies in the classroom.

So, these kids are used to being exposed to engaging and entertaining content when learning. They are also used to gamification since they play sophisticated computer and video games at home with their parents, friends, classmates, and relatives. They play games like Prodigy and Boddle in school as well.

Professors who use shorter videos and text/graphic content to teach will have the best results in engaging students and having them get the most out of college courses. Many colleges are already taking the lead by providing students with their own digital devices to learn from. Bowdoin College, an American college, is an example of that. It provides students with MacBook Pros, an iPad Mini, an Apple pencil, and educational software as part of the curriculum.

Colleges Will Need to Teach Reading, Writing, and Even ‘Rithmetic’!

If you just said, “Huh, that makes no sense”! You are not alone. On the surface, it makes no sense that such a technologically sophisticated generation would struggle to read. After all, don’t you need to learn how to read to navigate your way through advanced digital devices? But it’s not surprising when you think about how most Gen Alphaers live off of these devices.

Studies done three years ago reveal that only 33% of American fourth graders could understand longer passages. That’s pathetic since it was the lowest reading score since schools have been measuring reading proficiency in American students. Kids are so used to consuming short-form text that’s heavily supported by appealing graphics and videos that they don’t have the intellectual stamina to read text-heavy academic books.

That means that colleges will have to provide tutoring and other support services and programs to incoming freshmen to train them to read college textbooks without falling asleep or getting confused.

Part of the reason for this was the fact that the increased social isolation demanded by the pandemic deprived Gen Alpha students of the personal interaction with teachers needed to develop the foundation for stronger reading skills.

There Will Be an Increased Demand for Mental Health Services

That means that most colleges and universities can’t get by on only 12 free counseling sessions through their health services centers. Sure, Gen Alpha is super creative. But K-12 teachers complain that getting them to sit through 7 hours of instructional education is like trying to herd cats. Part of the problem is that students just don’t know how to regulate their emotions and deal with depression like previous generations were taught to.

Colleges and universities will need to provide extensive and complex mental health services for a generation of students who were practically raised by digital devices. They may not have learned the discipline or built up the resilience or emotional regulation needed to sit through lecture classes because of excessive exposure to digital devices.

Gen Alpha Will Not Take All Knowledge At Face Value

Previous generations were taught that whatever was in a textbook was always right. Gen Alpha is naturally skeptical, and for good reason. They understand that textbooks may not always be right. They’re used to researching topics, concepts, and brands online. That’s why they don’t even trust teachers in instruction. Gen Alpha loves to research topics, concepts, and brands on AI tools as well.

You could say that Gen Alpha are a bunch of independent learners because of those traits. They don’t like authority (even less than the Baby Boomers did). Gen Alpha has learned to cross-check and verify everything that they read and learn through multiple sources instead of accepting it at face value initially.

That means they may not trust university ambassadors and officials as much regarding college experiences. Alphaers are more likely to believe their peers, reviews, and posts about real student experiences online.

Gen Alpha is Empathetic and Cares About Values

Gen Alpha cares deeply about values, perhaps even more than their Baby Boomer parents. They will have grown up in an age where the geopolitical order and influence were shifting away from the West. At the same time, they will have seen amazing technological advances and progress. This generation is very empathetic and cares about all types of inclusivity.

Gen Alpha is also the most diverse (culturally, ethnically, racially, and religiously) generation in American history. They want to make a real difference in the world, and they seek out work that offers the same. They support genuine media and value friends and family.

When they go to college, they will seek out institutions that are sincere in their values and mission. That means colleges and universities must be genuine in their statements regarding diversity, equity, and sustainability.

They Will Learn Differently

I learned to learn by reading a textbook. Gen Alpha will be much different. They have been exposed to classrooms and learning environments that mixed traditional and remote learning and teaching styles. They were also heavily exposed to advanced technologies. They will expect higher educational institutions to provide technological devices that they may lack.

Gen Alpha May Well Revolutionize College

Baby Boomers pushed the envelope regarding colleges’ and universities’ cultural and social environments in the 1960s. However, they left the emphasis on more traditional learning intact. Gen Alpha will demand a complete overhaul of both the academic and social nature of higher education. So, they may well revolutionize college.