New survey: The 2022 Niche Grad Searcher Survey

June 1, 2022 — PITTSBURGH — Niche, the leading platform connecting students and families with colleges and schools, has just released a new survey of 6,348 people searching for graduate school programs. The Niche Grad Searcher Survey was conducted in 2022 for the second year in a row.

The survey covered a broad range of topics including the searchers’ reasons for applying to grad school, preferences regarding on-campus versus online programs, and search timeline (i.e. before, during, or after undergraduate study). In addition to insights around the searchers and what they’re looking for in general, the results identify specific differences between programs, or sentiments unique to searchers interested in a certain type of program.

“Our survey of graduate program searchers sheds a lot of light on why people choose to go to grad school. A lot of searchers are doing so because it’s required for their preferred path, of course, but there are a significant number of career changers.” said Will Patch, Senior Enrollment Insights Leader. “Of the searchers pursuing a second degree, 42% are looking outside of their current field. Some may already be doing that type of work, but we shouldn’t underestimate people wanting a new challenge and look to a certificate, Master’s, or doctoral degree to help them get there.”

The survey results show that searchers who are looking for a graduate program because they want a career change are most often looking for MBA, business, and law programs. Timing of the search can also reveal which programs are most popular among searchers potentially trying to change fields. Half of potential data science program students didn’t start their search until after graduation, and 48% of potential MBA students reported the same.

Other key takeaways include:

• The majority of searchers reported that COVID has made their academic preparation and their ability to afford a graduate degree more challenging.
• Program reputation and awareness are more important than the university’s. There are 37% of searchers who say that the reputation of a program is more important than the university as a whole and only 4% say that the university’s reputation is more important than a specific program. 
• The only concern that the majority of searchers expressed was that of being able to afford their degree with 84% saying that they were concerned.
• In-person classes are still highly desirable — 80% of searchers are considering on-campus-only programs, 70% are considering hybrid enrollment, and 62% are considering online-only programs. Of those considering an online program, half want it to be offered by an institution with a physical presence and only 22% prefer it to come from a fully online institution.

The 6,348 completed and qualified responses were collected between March 11, 2022 and April 17, 2022. The survey was sent to registered graduate program searching users on Niche and posted to the site during this period.

The results can be viewed in full here: https://www.niche.com/about/enrollment-insights/2022-niche-grad-searcher-survey/ 

About Niche: Niche is the leading platform connecting students and families with colleges and schools. Whether a school is already on their list or the perfect fit they haven’t yet discovered, Niche connects families to the ones that are uniquely right for them. Our enrollment marketing solutions enable our 2,000 partners to build genuine connections that nurture interest into visits, applications and enrollment. By supporting over 50 million students and parents, Niche is changing how schools and colleges connect with families and build their future classes.

Press contact:

Natalie Tsay
Senior PR Specialist
Natalie.Tsay@niche.com