College Planning Report

For high school students, the college planning process and the responses it triggers are complex. Many students start planning for college before they are ready or even understand the stakes of their decision. Some find the process exciting, while others find it stressful and confusing. Most carry a mixture of hope, pressure, curiosity, and uncertainty. Add pressure about what students should be doing from family, friends, counselors, and even strangers on social media, and college planning can become a twisting path instead of a clear road toward an important milestone.

This 2026 College Planning Report dives into these attitudes and behaviors. This comprehensive survey of 1,800 high school students examines student journeys, early awareness, first stumbles, exploration, big decisions, and late-night worries. Each section opens with insights and ends with a practical Action Checkpoint table, and those sections can be read independently or in sequence. The final section, "The Eight Actions Every Institution Should Take Now," pulls it all together into a strategic, practical framework. It offers a candid window into today's student experience and serves as a roadmap for meeting the real needs of the next generation.