COVID-19 Work and Education Survey
Weekly Dashboard | Latest Findings | Further Resources | Earlier Findings
Looking forward as a year of unprecedented challenges comes to a close, critical questions remain for educational institutions, learners, employers, and workers. Are the individuals interested in education going to enroll? In the new economy that emerges from the old, will skills translate into employment? And as the economy improves, will Americans’ confidence in the value of education rebound with it? Major findings from the past nine months serve as a guide to key challenges that lie ahead.
This week’s data are based on the Strada Public Viewpoint and Strada Student Viewpoint surveys, which together collected more than 25,000 responses this year. The research is intended to provide insights to the education and training providers, policymakers, employers, and individual Americans who are navigating the COVID-19 crisis.
Public Viewpoint is led by Center for Education Consumer Insights. Learn more about our research and the value of the education consumer perspective here.
Weekly Dashboard
This interactive dashboard explores the experiences and perspectives of a nationally representative sample of American adults as they navigate the COVID-19 crisis and its impacts on work and education. Click the statement and variable categories below to discover more about the effects of this crisis on everyday Americans.
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Released December 9, 2020: Insights From 2020, Implications for 2021
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CONFIDENCE
Self doubt is a major barrier for half of Americans when assessing how challenging it is to pursue education and training.

Confidence in the value of education has fallen among aspiring adult learners.

VALUE
When students have the support to connect their education to a career, they are more likely to say their education will be worth the cost.

EDUCATION PREFERENCE
Since the onset of the pandemic, Americans have expressed a consistent preference for nondegree and skills training options.

Further Resources
Charting the new path forward takes all of us, and Strada will continue to update our COVID-19 Resource Center with immediate needs, actionable data, future strategies, and virtual events to help stakeholders stay informed and communities connected.
In addition, we’re tracking surveys and findings from many of the partners and organizations assessing how COVID-19 is impacting Americans’ attitudes and experiences related to education and work:
- Understanding Coronavirus in America (USC Center for Economic and Social Research, daily)
- Dashboard of Fall 2020 plans for academic instruction (The College Crisis Initiative at Davidson College, rolling)
- SERU COVID-19 Survey Policy Briefs (UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education, rolling)
- Opportunity Insights Economic Tracker (Harvard University and Brown University, rolling)
- Student Wellness During COVID-19: What Role Do Universities Play in Supporting their Students? (Course Hero & NASPA, October 2020)
- Monthly Update on Higher Education Enrollment (National Student Clearinghouse, November 2020)
- The impact of COVID-19 on student experiences and expectations: Evidence from a survey (Journal of Public Economics, November 2020)
- The Pandemic College Student Experience: Implications for Student Success and Retention (Anthology Inc., November 2020)
Earlier Findings
Released November 12, 2020: Confidence in Education’s Promise: Perspectives on Access and Barriers to Good Jobs
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Released Oct. 27: Student Viewpoint:
COVID-19 and the Value of College
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Released Oct. 15: Student Viewpoint on Impacts to Completion
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Released Sept. 16: Interested But Not Enrolled: Understanding and Serving Aspiring Adult Learners
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Released Aug. 26: The New Education Consumer — What’s Driving Americans’ Interest in Short-term and Virtual Skills Training Options?
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Released Aug. 12: Back to School — Perspectives From the American Public
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Released July 29: The Value of Online Education
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Released July 15: Enrolling in Education: Motivations, Barriers, and Expectations
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Released June 24: Reskilling and Changing Careers in the Midst of COVID-19
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Released June 10: Disparities in Disruption: COVID-19’s Disproportionate Impact on Work and Education for People of Color
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Released May 20: Education disruption, enrollment, and advice
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Released May 13: New Jobs
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Released May 6: Trends by Job Fields
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Released April 29: Trends in Education Plans
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Released April 22: Impact Differences by Race/Ethnicity
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Released April 15: Generational Differences in Impact
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Released April 8: National Overview
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Webinar
Released April 1: National Overview
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* Survey completed weekly by Heart+Mind Strategies on behalf of the Center for Consumer Insights.
Learn more about Strada Consumer Insights