Abstract
Public discourse often frames the value of undergraduate education in financial terms—credentialing and increased earning power. Students must prepare to be self-supporting, but are financial prospects their only important goals? We asked 1,500 students from 11 U.S. colleges to write about their goals, the reasons their goals were important, and how they were pursuing those goals. Most articulated goals of self-actualization, meaning, and contribution to their chosen fields and to the common good. Almost all reported that they were actively pursuing their goals, including through academic and other programs provided by their colleges. By building on students’ aspirations as described in the study as well as their motivation in pursuing them, today’s colleges can help students engage more fully with their education and more effectively prepare them for lives of meaning and purpose.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the students who completed our survey, responding thoughtfully and candidly to the open-text items; the Mellon Foundation; and other members of the Stanford Center on Adolescence who helped with this article, especially Elissa Hirsh, Lisa Staton, and William Damon.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
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Notes on contributors
Anne Colby
Anne Colby ([email protected]) is adjunct professor in the Stanford Graduate School of Education, formerly senior scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and director of the Murray Research Center at Harvard University.
Heather Malin
Heather Malin ([email protected]) is a senior research scholar and director of research at the Stanford University Center on Adolescence, where she conducts research on diverse aspects of purpose development.
Emily Morton
Emily Morton ([email protected]) is a research scientist at the Center for School and Student Progress at Northwest Evaluation Association.