Nearly Half of Students Want Hybrid Classes, While Majority of Faculty Still Prefer Face-to-Face
July 14, 2022
Rhea Kelly
Flexibility remains a key priority for students pursuing higher education, according to a new “College 2030” report from Barnes & Noble College Insights, the research arm of Barnes & Noble Education. In a survey of 2,600 students, faculty and administrators at colleges and universities across the country, nearly half of learners (49%) said they prefer a hybrid class format. In contrast, just 35% of faculty members said they favor a hybrid environment, and 54% preferred fully in-person instruction. Only 18% of students and 11% of faculty favored fully remote classes.
Despite differing with faculty on class format, students’ views on the overall value of a college education have improved compared to the early days of the pandemic. Thirty-three percent of students said the value of higher education has increased over the past two years — an increase of 15 percentage points since Barnes & Noble College’s first College 2030 survey in late 2020. Thirty-one percent of faculty agreed. Thirty-six percent of students and 45% of faculty said that the value remains the same, while 31% of students and 24% of faculty thought the value has declined.
