The pandemic has undoubtedly had a profound impact on various aspects of our lives. Not only has it affected the way we work and live, but it has also had a significant impact on the education sector. One of the most significant impacts of the pandemic on education has been on high school and college graduation rates. Initially, many thought that the pandemic would cause a decline in the number of students who would graduate, but this has not been entirely true.
High school graduation rates for the class of 2020 were stable, with a national graduation rate of 85%. Meaning, there was almost no change in the graduation rate from the previous year. However, several schools and institutions reported lower graduation rates due to the challenges presented by the pandemic. Schools with higher percentages of students from marginalized communities and those who rely on school systems for support, were the most vulnerable. Many of them struggled to access virtual learning resources, lacked adequate internet connection, and had difficulty adjusting to the pandemic’s new learning model.
The colleges, however, had a different story. The college graduation rates decreased significantly as a result of the pandemic. Colleges had to change to virtual learning systems—which was the only option. This meant that many students had to switch from on-campus learning to remote learning. Remote learning works for some students but not for others. The drop was most noticeable among low-income students and international students. This is due to many reasons, including the lack of an adequate environment to learn in at home, mental health challenges, financial constraints, and travel restrictions.
However, it is not just the graduation rates that have been impacted by the pandemic. The career prospects of recent graduates have also been affected by the pandemic. Jobs that graduates might have expected to pursue no longer exist. Recent Graduates found it difficult to secure jobs immediately due to the pandemic’s harsh economic impact on many businesses, particularly start-ups. Graduates experienced more rejections, longer lead times to get feedback from companies, and limited employment opportunities, which resulted in increasing doubts as to whether their earning power would ever recover.
In conclusion, the pandemic has had a significant impact on high school and college graduation rates, even though the effect varied from state to state. High school graduation rates remained relatively stable, whereas college graduation rates dropped. This has made the transition from the academic world to the workforce more difficult for many recent graduates. We must learn from these experiences and find better ways of ensuring that students from every background can access the support and training they need to succeed in their studies and future careers.