Illinois College-Going Survey Series

Exploring Decision-Making Factors of Illinois High School Seniors

Project Overview

In May 2022, the Office of the Governor of the State of Illinois commissioned a study on how students were making postsecondary education decisions. In collaboration with state agencies, IWERC designed and implemented a survey for high school seniors in Illinois that asked students about the factors that influenced their decisions to pursue higher education, including their views on in-state versus out-of-state colleges.

In this series, we present findings through several reports on 4-year college goers, 2-year college goers, non-college goers, and the pandemic’s effects on college decision-making. We also include a technical reference guide which serves as the methodological document for all our reports.

Report 1: Cost, location, and academics: How Illinois high school seniors decide on a 4-year college. »
By Mariana Barragan Torres, Ph.D., Meg S. Bates, Ph.D.

Report 2: Close and Cost-Effective: How Illinois High School Seniors Decide on a 2-Year College. »
By Mariana Barragan Torres, Ph.D., Meg S. Bates, Ph.D.

Report 3: Viewpoints of Illinois High School Seniors Who Do Not Attend College. »
By Mariana Barragan Torres, Ph.D., Meg S. Bates, Ph.D.

Report 4: Post-Secondary Student Choice During the Pandemic in Illinois. »
By Mariana Barragan Torres & Paul Hatch

Technical Guide for the 2022 Illinois College Going Survey Series. »
By Mariana Barragan Torres, Ph.D.